The Villainess Whom I Had Served for 13 Years Has Fallen chapter 76

76 – The Poor Butler’s Birthday Gift -4-

Olivia’s room was filled with darkness.

After dining out for the first time in a long while with her friends from the forest, Olivia was patting her satisfied stomach while looking at the door.

“Heh… I’m full,”

Wearing a woolen hat,

Olivia had a pleasant smile on her face.

Olivia, who saw the world shining in her fullness, was waiting for the gift ceremony to decorate the end of her birthday.

“Hmm.”

Olivia had low expectations for the present.

Knowing her family’s financial situation well, she could only imagine a gift that Ricardo, who earns money on his own, could afford, such as a scarf or gloves.

However, Olivia was still incredibly satisfied with today.

She had a meal with her friends from the forest, and Ricardo bought her everything she wanted to eat, so she didn’t feel any lingering attachment or expectation towards the present.

Olivia was prepared to be happy with even a small gift.

“Why isn’t he coming…”

The butler who went to get the gift hadn’t returned even after 10 minutes.

-You’ll be surprised, so please wait.

The butler said with meaningful words and went downstairs. Olivia didn’t want to have high expectations, but her heart couldn’t help but beat with anticipation.

Now, the only person who would take care of her birthday was the butler.

Her friends who used to give her expensive gifts had left with their own downfall, and the nobles who shook their tails to gain the family’s prestige didn’t even send a single letter when they fell out of favor.

From Noble mtl dot com

She had no family left.

And she had no friends left. The only person who would take care of her birthday was Ricardo.

Ricardo, who always celebrated her birthday.

When the morning of my birthday dawned, Ricardo, who used to give me a personally wrapped gift along with a “Happy Birthday” greeting, continued to stay by my side even as time went by.

“He really treated me badly….”

Ricardo consistently took care of my birthday.

Even on the birthday of a wicked woman who had put the wrapped gift in the closet without even opening it.

He even stubbornly refused the hand-knitted scarf I made and presented to him, and yet Ricardo did not feel sad and appeared in front of me the following year with a different gift.

-Happy Birthday.

-It’s cheap.

-This time, I tried spending some money.

-What about increasing my salary then?

-Oh no…!

The past self also knows.

How sincere Ricardo was on my birthday.

Ricardo used to give me expensive gifts like a gold bracelet when discussing salary.

Hairpins embedded with jewels.

A self-made scarf.

A ring made of pure gold, and so on.

Ricardo used to give gifts of an unbearable level.

He spent a month’s worth of salary, no, three months’ worth, on buying gifts, but I didn’t wear those gifts.

Because it was embarrassing to show them to others.

The De La Muerte family crest looked shabby and it wasn’t dazzling. Olivia always shoved Ricardo’s gifts into the closet.

“So foolish.”

It was the year in which it had been 6 years since Ricardo started taking care of my birthday.

Ricardo’s gifts began to change.

More expensive gifts.

Not flashy accessories.

They turned into gifts that couldn’t be seen by others, like perfume or snacks. I didn’t say it was embarrassing to carry them around, but my heart was broken by the fact that I hadn’t worn a single gift I received until now.

Olivia knew that her past self was bad.

She may not be good even now, but she admitted to herself that when she was confidently carrying the De La Muerte name, she was much sharper than she is now, and Ricardo also knew it.

She grew up like a flower in a greenhouse and the people around her always accepted her as right instead of nagging.

Her character couldn’t help but twist.

It wasn’t that those people were bad.

Just a little regret remained. If there had been at least one more person who would scold her like Ricardo, she wouldn’t have treated Ricardo so unkindly.

“…Bad woman.”

Olivia smiled bitterly, reflecting on her past mistakes.

Now, let’s not throw it away and take care of it.

If she was given chocolate, she would eat it deliciously, but if she received a gift that hadn’t disappeared, she would continue to cherish it, Olivia pledged.

-Thump…Thump…Thump!

The sound of the butler’s footsteps climbing the stairs could be heard beyond the door.

With noisy footsteps as if carrying something heavy, Ricardo set down something with a “thump” sound in front of the door.

Without resting, he went down the stairs and kept repeating the busy task of climbing the stairs with a “whoosh” sound.

“What should I do…?”

Olivia tightly clenched her fist, staring in surprise at Ricardo’s busy footsteps.

“I can’t help but have expectations.” Olivia lowered her head, shyly smiling.

Olivia was someone who kept letting out laughter.

-Huah… Forget it.

Ricardo’s murmuring voice, indicating that he had finished preparations, could be heard from behind the door.

Knock, knock, knock. Ricardo opened the door.

“Miss. Please come in.”

As the creaking door opened,

“hahahahaha! What’s this…!”

Olivia saw Ricardo’s face wearing the costume she had seen in the morning.

Olivia held her belly and laughed.

In a puffy red outfit.

With a ridiculous white beard and a red ball stuck on the nose of the Santa hat, Ricardo looked funny.

“Ahahahahaha…Haa… hahahahaha! What is that!”

Olivia pointed and laughed happily at Ricardo.

“Oh my… It’s Santa.”

Ricardo said to himself in a solemn voice.

Santa Claus.

Olivia thought Santa was a very funny presence, despite not knowing what Santa was.

Ricardo sighed and set the red bundle he was carrying on the floor before speaking.

“hehehehe Mary… I mean, happy birthday.”

Ricardo wished Olivia a birthday with a comical appearance. Ricardo briefly glanced at Olivia, who was filled with anticipation, and swallowed his saliva.

Olivia felt a burden from the gaze of Ricardo, who was looking at her intently.

“Ahem! Well, the thing is…”

Ricardo was holding back his laughter, wondering if he found this situation amusing.

Olivia honestly spoke to Ricardo, who was acting awkwardly.

“You forgot your lines, Ricardo.”

“Don’t laugh. It’s difficult to maintain the concept.”

Ricardo was faithful to the concept.

Ricardo opened the bundle, pushing aside the bear soup that was trying to lick his face.

He took out a chocolate shaped like a coin.

“Oh…!”

He took out a scarf to endure the cold winter.

“hehehehe!”

Ricardo took out a thick fur coat.

Ricardo put on a serious expression and began to speak to Olivia.

“Miss Olivia.”

“Why?”

“You should address Santa Claus respectfully.”

Olivia glared at Ricardo, looking refreshed.

“I don’t want to.”

“…Then there’s nothing I can do.”

Ricardo was a butler who struggled to maintain the concept.

Ricardo looked at the gifts he had put on the floor and spoke. He began his end-of-year review, recalling the mistakes he had made and the frustrating incidents that had occurred this year.

“Do you remember stealing the chocolate in March?”

It was a funny prank.

Olivia nodded in agreement with Ricardo’s humor.

“Yeah, I stole one.”

“I stole three lies. Seized 10% of the gift.”

Ricardo, placing the chocolate coins that had been dropped on the floor into a bundle, along with the word “seized.”

Although Olivia scolded Ricardo for cutting into her birthday gift, Ricardo’s effort to maintain the concept was more stubborn than expected.

“Hmm… since I took the coins from the desk in June, let’s seize 50%.”

“eeek! That’s violent! Resign!”

“No, thank you.”

With Ricardo’s excellent memory, Olivia’s gifts began to decrease. Now, all that remained were three chocolates in the shape of coins.

Olivia was looking at Ricardo with a frustrated expression.

“Bad!”

“It’s the fault of the young lady who has lived as a bad adult.”

Ricardo, who gave kind compliments for the future, put the three chocolates on the floor into the bundle and said.

“Overall, this year…”

“Gulp…”

“You’ve been too greedy, miss.”

“No…! It’s because Ricardo made me upset…”

“Shh. I won’t listen to excuses.”

Seeing Ricardo put all the gifts into the bundle, Olivia made a pouty face and reached out her hand.

“Give it.”

“No, thank you.”

“Give it!”

“It is our company’s policy not to give gifts to crying adults…”

Returning to the concept, Ricardo looked at the outstretched hand and said.

“But.”

Ricardo held Olivia’s white wrist and let out a small laugh.

“The gift that the butler prepared is still remaining.”

Holding Olivia’s wrist, Ricardo began to search through his pockets with a small laugh.

And then.

“Huh?”

He started to put something shiny onto her wrist. As the cool sensation touched her skin, a bracelet of a familiar design started to appear before her eyes.

A bracelet adorned with diamonds.

“Ah… Huh… This…”

Stammering in confusion, Olivia struggled to find her words, feeling like a fool. How did this end up here and how did he manage to find it… She wanted to ask, but overcome with emotion, she couldn’t bring herself to speak.

Ricardo let go of Olivia’s trembling hand and spoke.

“It suits you well. It really suits you…”

With a white beard, Ricardo chuckled happily and looked at the bracelet adorning Olivia’s pale wrist.

“Happy birthday.”

“This… this is really expensive…”

Tears welled up in Olivia’s eyes as she looked at the bracelet.

In a choked voice, Olivia spoke.

Ricardo, shaking his head, casually replied as if it was nothing.

“I put in a little effort.”

Ricardo was always giving heartfelt gifts.

Olivia shouted through her choked voice.

“It’s expensive!”

“It’s expensive, so please wear it well.”

“This… s-sniff… sob…”

Olivia wiped away her tears and spoke to Ricardo.

“It’s… so… expensive!”

“So, do you not like it?”

“No…! I… I’ll cherish it and wear it well…”

Ricardo looked at Olivia’s white wrist adorned with the bracelet once again and spoke. “I’m glad it suits you. I’m glad you like it,” he said.

Ricardo held Olivia’s white hand tightly and said.

“Next time, I’ll give you an even better gift.”

“I also… really like this!”

Olivia hugged the bracelet tightly in her arms and cried.

This birthday was one she would never forget.

***

Ricardo awkwardly smiled as he looked at the wooden box he had hidden behind the door.

[Gift for Olivia No.1]

“I’ll give it to her in a little while.”

Ricardo smiled happily.