The Villainess Whom I Had Served for 13 Years Has Fallen

Let's think about it.

"Let go."

"I am letting go."

"Then hold on."

"Yes."

What kind of situation is this?

The guy who said he was going home is scared, and the miss is angry.

Hmm…

It seems something happened while I was momentarily away.

I was quite curious what he did to make this proud guy lose his spirit. I knew Ruin felt uneasy around the miss, but I thought he was a crazy guy who wouldn’t easily lose his spirit. What did she say to make him like this?

"Why is he like that?"

"He's sulking."

"What did you say to make him sulk?"

"Um…"

"Um…?"

"I said he was ugly."

*

10 minutes earlier.

Olivia was glaring at Ruin with cold eyes.

Because he disrespected her mansion.

She really didn’t like that the first thing this newcomer did was to demean Ricardo's meticulously decorated mansion.

She didn't like his attitude, speaking rudely with a face as ugly as dried seaweed.

She was already on edge from not eating, and then this sudden visitor disrespecting the mansion really got on her nerves.

"Why are you disrespecting someone's home? Is your house made of gold?"

"…"

"Why are you picking a fight? Are you rich?"

"Ha… Whether it's this guy or that guy, why do they provoke me…"

"Answer me, ugly."

"Ha… This is ridiculous."

"I am more appalled."

Olivia was genuinely curious.

She wondered why the instigator was getting angry. Ricardo always said speaking kindly was good, so she was trying her best not to use harsh words and speak kindly, but why was he picking a fight? Olivia was genuinely curious.

So, she asked.

If he was insane.

"But why do you speak harshly?"

"You're annoying me."

"I should be the one annoyed, right? It's disgusting that you come to someone's house uninvited and insult it."

"…"

"Why can't you speak? Are you mute?"

Olivia asked Ruin with pure curiosity, implying that she would be very angry if there was no good reason.

"You look awful and throw a tantrum, which makes me feel bad."

"So what?"

"Um… Speak nicely. I'm the only one allowed to curse in this mansion."

"Spouting nonsense. Complete nonsense."

Ruin sighed deeply and spoke to Olivia.

"I'm annoyed by your behavior. Acting high and mighty with nothing to show for it… It's crap."

Olivia responded as if it were obvious. Nothing to show for? If that were true, she would be no different than a corpse.

"I am beautiful."

"Bullshit."

"Ricardo said I'm beautiful."

"That's because his eyes are crooked…"

"Ricardo is never wrong."

At the moment when Ruin’s crude retort reached Olivia's ears, she responded with a cold voice.

"You have one warning."

"…"

"I'll let it slide up to three times. Ricardo says it's best to tolerate up to three times."

"That damn Ricardo… oh, scary."

"Two."

"…"

With warnings piling up, Ruin kept silent, his expression contemplative as if he was trying to figure out what to say to inflict damage.

Finding the answer, Ruin smirked maliciously and said.

"Hey."

"Yeah."

"Honestly, it's childish. Pink, what's with the pink? Is this a kindergarten?"

"I am pretty. Much prettier than the color of your hair."

"I thought your head was a flower bed, but it turns out your mental state is, too."

Seemingly irritable, Olivia did not appreciate Ruin murmuring and pouting his lips.

The continuous provocations crossing the line.

The tone that irritated her.

Everything from one to ten was displeasing.

Above all, she was angry that he disrespected the things Ricardo had worked hard on.

Olivia began to get angry.

"Third."

"Third? What can you do?"

Olivia stated confidently.

"I can do anything. Anything at all."

"Bullshit."

Green hair.

Ugly face.

Academy uniform.

Olivia quickly sifted through her memories for a character that matched him and concluded he was the Tower Master's disciple.

The Tower Master's only flaw.

His disciple, Ruin.

Although Olivia didn’t have significant memories of Ruin, she knew a few weaknesses that could irritate him.

He has a bad temperament.

He lost to her in the past.

He was defeated by Ricardo.

And.

He has no friends.

When fighting, Olivia’s mind worked fast.

Memories she usually forgot suddenly came back, sparking her spiteful temperament, one of her strengths.

Thus, Olivia asked again with a cold voice.

"Are you a loner?"

"…What?"

"Loner."

"Did you just call me a loner? Ah, f*ck, everyone…"

"Why? Hit a nerve?"

Olivia asked with pure curiosity.

In her faint memories, Ruin was always a peripheral figure.

He might have had many friends, but few truly liked him, and there were hardly any who liked enough to tolerate his arrogance.

He had no significant family backing, and since the Tower cultivated its disciples with a laissez-faire approach, all he had was a bit of proficiency in magic.

She remembered him having a not-so-great academy life.

"Are you upset because it's true?"

"…You make me sick."

"It's not that you're made sick, you've always been like that."

"…"

"Apologize. If you apologize, I'll let it go this time."

"I can't."

"Um…"

Olivia toyed with the handle of her wheelchair, taking her time.

"If you don't apologize, I'll get angry."

"Pfft. You?"

"Yes."

"You, who can't even move your legs?"

Ruin provoked Olivia.

And then, with a laugh filled with disdain, he mocked his past self for being afraid of such a woman.

Wondering why he was scared of a woman who couldn't move freely or use magic.

Ruin, reminiscing about his past animosity, looked down on Olivia with a sneering expression.

"You… are a useless f*ck."

"…"

"Without Ricardo, you're nothing…"

"This is your last chance. Be careful with your words."

"Eh?"

"I don't tolerate anger well."

Ruin slowly extended a finger towards Olivia's forehead.

Previously, Olivia, whom he feared, now seemed so trivial. The demon who had only experienced contempt and disregard now appeared insignificant.

Ruin intended to push her forehead with his finger and sneer. Then, Olivia would understand her place.

So, should he try?

The moment he extended his finger towards Olivia's forehead with a ‘tap'…

-Swish…

Ruin felt an indescribable murderous intent.

A brutal intent that seemed to tear him apart from the tips of his toes slowly crawled up.

It was a first.

The feeling that his legs would give out any moment.

Even more so than when he encountered the Archbishop of Despair in the Hamel Mountains, a profound and chilling feeling was consuming Ruin's entire body.

‘What's this…?'

Overwhelmed by the unknown murderous intent, Ruin trembled and looked at Olivia sitting in front of him.

Olivia, who radiated no magical power, simply clenched her lips and glared at him.

"I'll say it one more time."

"Gulp…"

"I don't tolerate anger well."

And.

"I'm speaking kindly right now."

It was terrifying.

Olivia, who seemed insignificant, was terrifying.

Whether the fear stemmed from his past defeat by her or anger towards her creating this fear, Ruin was certain he could do nothing at the moment.

Like peering into an abyss, the darkness and fear in front of Olivia were evident.

Despite Olivia being powerless and immobile, looking at her felt like falling into an abyss, causing his heart to thump uncontrollably.

-Ha… Ha…

Ruin gasped for air.

‘Touching her any further means death,' a warning echoed within him.

He denied any reason to be frightened, but his trembling legs contradicted everything.

And the moment Olivia's lips parted…

"Leave…"

Ricardo arrived.

*

In the boys' dormitory of the academy where it snowed.

In the dark night, a tender, soft voice floated in the air, too delicate and fragile to belong to a man.

The student having a nightmare was drenched in cold sweat, clutching the blanket tightly.

"It's not true… I didn't do it on purpose…"

"So… run away…"

In the deep nightmare, his friend's face was painted black.

Always smiling.

The face of the friend who happily shared food with him was obscured by blackness.

-Why are you alone again?

-I miss my mom.

-That's a difficult request to fulfill.

-Sniff… I want to see my mom.

-Me too, mom~!! Ah, right. I don't have a mom.

Bitter memories resided in his childhood, planting the dream of wielding a sword. The boy, always hopeful, sat beside me as usual.

In the dream, the boy handed me a chocolate with a smile.

-Eat it yourself.

-Aren't you going to eat?

-No, I don't really like chocolate.

-Why?

-Um… It's too sweet?

Then, a ‘gurgle' came from the boy's stomach.

-Whistle~

-…

-What are you doing? Aren't you going to eat?

Pretending not to know and whistling with a smile, the boy kindly unwrapped the chocolate and smiled.

It was an unforgettable face.

The boy's smile.

The smile I loved the most and always wanted to see. That was the first time I asked the boy.

-What's your name?

-Me?

-Yeah.

-My name is…

The dream always ended before the most desired story was revealed.