The Villainess Whom I Had Served for 13 Years Has Fallen chapter 31

31 – Unintended Encounter -3-

A tense atmosphere hung in the air.

Yuria, with moist eyes, and Ruin, glaring as if he could kill. I felt utterly uncomfortable under the gazes of the novel’s heroine and the sub-male lead.

Especially Ruin.

Ruin glared at me fiercely.

He clenched and unclenched his fist repeatedly, preparing to unleash his magic on my face at any moment.

It seemed like he was trying to score points with Yuria this time, but I didn’t want to easily comply with the village chief’s plan in Nokjo Village.

I asked Ruin, who kept making eye contact with me, sincerely wanting to know if he was interested in me or if he was just trying to provoke me.

“What are you looking at? Back then, you just stood by when we harassed Yuria.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Why? Were you not going to intervene because you weren’t close to her back then?”

“…Shut up. I didn’t know Yuria was struggling at that time…!”

“Bullsh*t.”

Sure enough, Ruin created a red sphere in his hand. He stomped the ground and was about to rush towards me in an instant.

“Ruin!”

Yuria shouted.

Ruin glared at Yuria.

He sent me a protest with his eyes, and I sent the same look back at Yuria.

He could have made a flower arrangement with his head, so why stop him?

“Yuria.”

Ruin called Yuria’s name with a serious tone.

“That jerk harassed you because he found you amusing.”

“It’s not that jerk. It’s Ricardo. The village chief of Nokjo Village.”

“This jerk.”

“And, don’t sugarcoat it. It’s not because of Yuria; it’s because he was stabbed, isn’t it? You weren’t there when Yuria was harassed at the academy; I don’t think you’ve seen it.”

My words were correct.

Ruin was gradually falling for Yuria back then. At that time, Yuria was a rather pretty girl in Ruin’s eyes. Nothing more, nothing less.

Although the harassment bothered him.

He was a presence that didn’t intervene unnecessarily.

“I told you to shut up!”

“Hush.”

I quietly placed a finger against my lips.

“Please be quiet. Orcs have keen hearing. Even though Lwin might mistake you for one of their kind, Uriah and I won’t.”

“He killed…”

“If you can handle it, go ahead and scream. I can, but it seems impossible for you.”

Lwin fell silent.

Even a master of fire magic like himself would be reduced to minced meat if he fought several elite orcs.

I smiled at Lwin’s newfound silence.

“Let’s talk quietly, shall we?”

Uriah, who had been silently observing, spoke to me.

“Ricardo.”

“Yes.”

“Is this amusing to you?”

A voice that trembled slightly.

Trying to meet my eyes but having restless pupils when our eyes actually met.

Uriah, unfamiliar with anger, gripped the hem of her dress tightly and said,

“Are you finding this situation amusing?”

“….”

“When someone asks seriously, Lwin is about to fight, and I’m invisible to you?”

Tears had welled up in her eyes as if they would spill over with the slightest touch. I clenched my fist.

“Am I a joke to you?”

“No.”

“Then why? Why are you doing this?”

“Just asking! Why are you? Why?”

Uriah questioned relentlessly.

Faced with her frustrated inquiry, I couldn’t find any words to say.

No excuse I could make here would change anything.

“We are the bad guys, and we tried to be slightly less bad.”

When Yuria looked at us, we were no different from an elementary school student wondering, “Why is the one who tormented me worse than others, only doing it to me?”

I responded in silence.

“Speak up.”

“…”

“I’m asking you. Did you dislike me that much? Or is it because you associate with nobles on commoner terms?”

This was what Yuria heard the most at the beginning of the novel.

Pretty.

Lovely.

Impressive. Not like this.

On commoner terms.

Looked vulgar. We heard such words often.

While attending the academy, Yuria heard these words, and I also heard them the most while attending the academy.

Unlike Yuria, who was a commoner admitted to the academy solely due to her status as a lady, I, too, am a commoner who entered the academy carrying the noble’s status on my back.

Perhaps I, who faced more discrimination than Yuria, as a commoner, know better the hardships of attending the academy with a commoner’s status.

So Yuria is now speaking to me.

As commoners, why did you discriminate against me? It could be a way to vent the frustrations I’ve experienced all this time, or it could be a genuine question of why I dislike her.

As commoners.

We could share our hardships.

Even if we were ignored by the nobles, we could overcome it together, but it seems that I tormented her because it was amusing.

If I were Yuria, I would have felt the same way.

I spoke honestly. I momentarily forgot what I had said earlier and spoke honestly this time.

“I’m not ignoring you. I’m a commoner too, so what do you mean by ignoring?”

“Then what? Is it like you said earlier, that it was just because it was amusing?”

“No, it’s not. Earlier, I just…”

“Whatever you say, you won’t believe it. This is the final argument.”

Concealing my frustration for a moment, I offered a plausible alternative.

“Um… it’s just words…”

Yuria let out a bitter laugh.

I know how frustrating I look, too.

I’m really a mess.

So, I feel even more sorry towards Yuria.

I did my best according to my standards.

“It’s because I’m bad.”

“Hah.”

-Slap.

Yuria slapped my cheek.

***

Two days later, on the way down to the academy after finishing the assignment.

“…”

Yuria’s expression as she descended from the mountain was not good.

She completed the assignment perfectly, and now she could return to the top rankings once she went back to the academy.

She could recover from the bottom rankings she fell into due to losing to Hanna in the preliminary rounds of the ranking battle.

Yuria, who couldn’t muster any energy, let out a deep sigh.

“Haah…”

Since meeting Ricardo, this state continued. This uneasy and uncomfortable feeling.

“It’s because I’m bad.”

I still can’t forget that face. The face that smiled brightly even after getting slapped.

-It feels a bit refreshing now.

-Are you crazy?

-I thought I deserved at least one hit.

He bowed his head and thanked me, but I felt uneasy about it.

Definitely didn’t like it.

Really hated it.

Didn’t want to see him again, even by chance.

But I hated myself for silently wishing to see him once more.

Because I really liked him a lot.

Always appearing like a knight in shining armor to defeat the villains.

“Miss, may I ask?”

“I’m not a dog, am I?”

“I’ll go buy mint chocolate bath salts.”

“I bark well!”

Collapsed, whether poisoned or from drinking too much black tea.

“Who the hell are you?”

“…”

“It would be wise to speak now. Or else, you might really die.”

In front of the high nobility, a mere commoner stood sharpening his sword. It was unavoidable not to yield, given the circumstances.

Although it’s all in the past now.

“Sigh… Yuria, pull yourself together.”

One must gather their wits.

Yuria had no intention of forgiving Ricardo.

He could have returned after finishing his studies, which made his absence infuriating. Despite hearing about Olivia’s illness, she concluded it as mere gossip inflated by the lies and exaggerations of the aristocrats, whom she didn’t believe in.

“Hey, Yuria.”

Seeing his lack of spirit, Ruen quietly initiated the conversation. Yuria felt better having a good friend by her side.

“You seem quite down. How about we visit our friends in the forest on our way?”

“Our forest friends? We were just there last time.”

Ruen said with a smile.

“We can go again.”

Yuria shook her head.

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She couldn’t burden Ruen, who had generously dedicated his time.

“No, it’s okay. I’m fine now.”

“I’ll be alive.”

“No, really, I’m fine.”

Ruen smiled with a tinge of regret.

Had they walked a little further?

“Uh… What’s that?”

Ruen, who was at the front, hurriedly grabbed Yuria’s clothes after seeing something.

“Ahh!”

Uriah lost her balance and fell.

She quickly tried to stand up. If Lune was acting like that, it meant that a monster or a thief had appeared.

Just as she was trying to quickly assume a combat stance and get up…

“Uriah, stay still.”

Lune grabbed Uriah and helped her up.

Lune was casting magic with an unusual expression. Uriah tightly sealed her lips.

Lune muttered quietly.

“Damn.”

Something seemed seriously wrong.

Uriah slowly looked up.

There was a huge man standing there.

Holding a massive greatsword.

Staring at himself with a bitter expression.

“You seem fortunate.”

Thud. A droplet of blood fell on Uriah’s forehead.

“Wha… what…?”

Uriah stammered.

Lune, too, couldn’t say anything.

Because of the colossal presence in front of them.

Wearing a black priest’s robe.

A man with numerous scars, holding a massive greatsword.

He held the black scriptures and spoke.

“Ah… let’s ask for directions, saints.”

-Glug.

“Do you know the way to salvation?”

It happened in an instant.

The cold blade of the greatsword approached Uriah’s eyes. And when she thought she couldn’t do anything.

“What are you doing?”

Bang. With a powerful cracking sound, the ground shook heavily.

The dust cloud cleared.

Yuria, who had tightly closed her eyes, slowly opened them.

Her body was unharmed, without any injuries.

Yuria let out a sigh of relief.

“What are you doing? Do you really want to die?”

A cold and stern voice echoed in her ears.

Polite but arrogant tone.

Familiar tone made Yuria raise her head.

There stood a red-haired man who deflected the greatsword with his two hands.

The man spoke.

“For now, close your eyes.”