The Villainess Whom I Had Served for 13 Years Has Fallen chapter 90

90 – Our Family -3-

It was a peaceful day in the mansion.

I, who had overslept, stopped in my tracks upon seeing the Lady with a sulky expression in the corner of the corridor.

[I won’t date again.]

The lady, who was sitting in her wheelchair, had a sign with strange letters hanging around her neck.

Looking at the scene, which was pleasant enough to make anyone feel good, I asked the Lady, wearing a small smile.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m being punished.”

“Punishment?”

“Yeah. My brother said I had to keep my hand up all day.”

The Lady was being punished on the orders of the next head of the family. As expected of the second son of the Deathmont family, he was a cruel man who did not permit repentance without action.

As I saw the Lady, whose hands were trembling, I said.

“That’s quite a scary punishment.”

“Yeah. So I rested while surreptitiously lowering my hand.”

“May I tell the young master?”

“No.”

The young lady and I looked at each other uncomfortably.

I, who seemed ready to rush to Kail’s room at any moment, and her, her chilly gaze as if insisting I resign immediately.

As the ominous feelings became palpable in our exchange of glances, the young lady deeply sighed in admission of defeat.

“If Riccardo does it, my arm will fall off.”

“I’ll pick it up and reattach it.”

“Riccardo has no hand skills, he might even reattach the right to the left.”

“Then it’ll be quite a pity, won’t it?”

“Stop teasing!”

Barely hiding a smile, I teased her. She furrowed her brows and expressed her dissatisfaction.

“If you won’t help me, go away!”

“I haven’t done anything wrong, have I?”

“My brother said Riccardo also needs to be punished.”

“…”

Anxiously, I glanced towards the firmly shut door of Kail’s room at the end of the hall.

“Really?”

“No. I made it up.”

At the young lady’s cheeky prank, I flicked her forehead.

“Why did you hit me!”

“Just because.”

“Ahh!!!”

The young lady waved her fist in a fit of balled-up rage.

Her, wearing a funny sign around her neck and pretending to be threatening, wasn’t intimidating in the least.

It was more like a pet puppy being scolded for ripping up paper in the room—her sitting there with the sign had more of a cute than a scary vibe.

The young lady raised her arm with a sulky face.

Holding her wrist softly, I spoiled her a bit.

Her scolding expression transitioned to a comfortable one at my subtle touch.

“Are you really tired?”

“Ungh. My shoulders have been screaming since earlier.”

“When did you start doing this?”

The young lady asked with a huge smile on her face.

“Three minutes.”

“Ah.”

I abruptly released the young lady’s hand.

“Do you think it’s tough after doing just that much!”

“How can it be tough!”

“Just bear with it for ten minutes.”

“No! I don’t want to!”

The young lady acted petulantly, begging me to hold her hand. She taunted me, claiming that she would keep this up all day if I held her hand because it made her feel less exhausted.

Even though it was an enticing proposal, I’d undoubtedly get into trouble with Kail if he caught us. So I held back my tears and resisted the tempting offer.

“So, did your story go well?”

I asked the young lady in a soft voice.

Did she wrap up her story well?

It wouldn’t be resolved in one conversation, but I thought she had ended the story quite well considering her receiving punishment in such a cute way.

Judging by the absence of servants in the corridor, I suspected Kail was controlling the situation.

The young lady bowed her head in response to my question and answered in a shy voice.

“I don’t know… he said he’d be mad until tomorrow, so…I’m not sure.”

“Is the person that gets this punishment this way?”

“…Isn’t it too strict of a punishment?”

I knocked lightly on the young lady’s forehead as she asked with an innocent look and laughed.

“hahahaha… I don’t know either.”

She raised a question mark over her head and asked me what was the meaning, but I kept my mouth closed tight and left her to figure it out.

Really, Kail was nothing but dishonest.

In the middle of my nonsense conversation with the young lady,

– Tapping… tapping…

The sound of tapping shoe heels on the staircase from the fourth floor approached. As the clear sound came closer to our location on the third floor, I straightened up my clothes and took a peek at the incoming person.

Today as well, wearing a deep navy-colored formal suit.

As the figure of a middle-aged person elegantly dressed came into view, I lowered my head to show respect.

“Good morning, my lord.”

“Indeed. Good morning, Ricardo.”

Dressed sharply, Darbav waved and greeted me.

Standing at the entrance of the corridor we were at, Darbav looked down at the lady with a surprised expression.

“You’re up to something interesting, Olivia.”

The lady spoke to Darbav with a sullen expression.

“Father. Good morning.”

“Yes. Did Olivia sleep well?”

“No.”

“I see.”

Darbav nodded his head, softly patting her on the head. He continued to stroke for a while the soft strands of the lady’s hair.

The lady looked up at Darbav and asked.

“Father. Did you come to save me?”

“No.”

“…”

The lady bowed her head in a gloomy mood.

“I can’t intercede in Kyle’s obstinacy.”

“It’s okay.”

A solemn emotion enveloped the mansion’s corridor. As silence fell for a moment, I found myself questioning what was in Darbav’s hand, a wooden sign.

“Master, what is that in your hand?”

“Ah… This?”

Darbav shrugged his shoulders. He stood next to the lady, as if accustomed, and spoke with a confident voice.

“It’s a love message from Rosanna.”

And then, as if it was a routine, he picked up the board signs and hung one around his neck.

The lady looked at Darbav.

“Father. What are you doing?”

“Well, take a look.”

‘[I will not sing loudly in the morning.]’

“I came to receive a punishment.”

Having been reprimanded by Rosanna, Darbav sighed, hung the sign around his neck and raised his hands as if it was the most natural thing to do.

Darbav looked at me and asked,

“Have you come to get scolded too?”

“No.”

“I’m jealous.”

The lord sincerely spoke of his envy.

To my bewilderment, Darbav said without a hint of wavering in his expression,

“Could you ask Rosanna for how long I should keep my hand raised, if you have some time?”

I almost laughed at the sight of Darbav uttering these novel words with a stoic face, but I barely held in the laughter that was about to spill from my lips at his serious expression, which was more serious than ever before.

A household where they face off against the lord like this was unimaginable elsewhere, but it was a common sight here in Desmont.

With respect for him, I made my way toward the kitchen where Rosanna was.

“I will be back.”

“It seems like it’s okay to return late.”

Darbav opened his mouth, casting a side glance at the young lady.

It was only later I came to know that Rosanna had never asked Darbav to do such a thing. It was just a small excuse from a father who wanted to be with his daughter.

Really.

“He’s a good person.”

I welcomed the night at the mansion with a smile.

***

Late night arrived.

Darbav and Rosanna were deep in sleep, and the mistress’s snoring could be heard ominously loud during the secretive hours.

Unable to sleep, I went out for a walk in the mansion’s gardens to get some fresh air.

The huge garden.

With statues of the past lords lined up.

Walking through the mansion’s gardens where Rosanna’s rose garden is, I reminisce.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve been here too.”

– From today, this is your home. If there’s something you want to steal, ask for permission and take it. Got it?

– I want to run away.

– You can’t. I picked you up, didn’t I?

– From now on, I’ll make myself a stray dog.

– eeek!

I vividly remember the sight of the lady who first took me in.

How her childhood face passed through my mind; her chubby cheeks and a face much like a cat’s.

I didn’t imagine it would turn out this way.

As the cold winter air passed harshly over my chest, my breath became visible.

I suppose the weather was the same when I first met her.

Who could have known that a relationship sparked by a handful of fists and an orphan from the poor side of town could end up saving lives? After all, being possessed, I hadn’t imagined our relationship with the villainess would deepen.

The one I least wanted to meet or be entangled with was the villainess.

I had never anticipated how lasting our relationship would be.

Walking for a while, I started to feel a bit chilly.

Then I heard a familiar voice from behind.

“Ricardo.”

The sound of a strong man.

In this mansion, he was probably the last person I would have expected to meet alone, calling my name.

A man with black hair and blue eyes.

“My lord.”

Desmond Kyle.

He had his hand in his pocket, calling my name. His once childish image is now gone, replaced by a mature Kyle, fitting of the Desmont’s heir.

We had many fights.

He was my friend who spent his childhood days with Olivia.

Kyle refused formalities, waving his hand and criticizing the notion, then took out a cigarette from his pocket and offered one to me.

“Want a light?”

As much as I appreciated his offer, I rejected it, waving my hands. After all, the lady hates the smell of cigarettes.

“I’ll smoke next time.”

I bowed my head in a show of politeness.

“I see.”

“I apologize.”

“No need to apologize.”

It was awkward.

Being alone with Kyle.

Even more so since the incident involving the lady’s dark magic.

Kyle lit up a cigarette and exhaled heavily. A plume of white smoke rose into the garden sky, adding to the eerie silence.

“Yeah…”

He exhaled another puff of smoke before he spoke again.

“So, how long are you planning to hide it?”

Kyle scrutinized me with his upright gaze.

“I know you have some affiliation with that commoner sword user, from your impoverished youth.”

Kyle despised Michael.

“Why… Why are you keeping it a secret?”

So much he could kill, that is.