The Villainess Whom I Had Served for 13 Years Has Fallen

Under the streetlight that illuminated the cold darkness.

Michail was speaking to me.

“Why are you appearing before me…?”

He didn’t say anything else.

Seeing me, who hadn’t spoken or caused any harm, Michail’s hand was resting on the handle of his sword as he glared at me.

“What are you scheming this time…?”

I had something I wanted to tell Michail.

It wasn’t anything significant, but I had a simple curiosity I wanted to satiate.

However, Michail’s cold demeanor annoyed me, causing me to respond with a bitter smile.

Saying it like this, I, too, was bound to speak harshly. In a world I knew, there was a saying: ‘What goes around comes around.’

Generally, I try to avoid saying things that hurt people. You never know who you might meet again while passing by, and my actions directly reflected on the lady.

But if someone misunderstood me in this way, I had no choice but to break my principles.

The resolve I had painstakingly built might waver.

No matter how close of a friend from the Academy they were.

Even if they were a friend in unfortunate memories, speaking to someone in this manner was indeed troublesome.

I had saved his life multiple times, after all.

I didn’t want to be treated as a hero. It wasn’t something I sought after, and being idolized felt awkward.

Still, I didn’t expect to be treated like this. Seeing Michail’s hand on the sword handle, I let out a sigh.

With a heavy heart, I spoke to Michail.

“Mister Michail.”

“…What.”

“No mareeting.”

“Shut up.”

“And what did I do that was so wrong? Though I did make mistakes, if you’re an adult, shouldn’t you…”

“An adult, you say?”

Stopping mid-sentence, Michail removed his hand from the sword handle and glared at me. As his eyes, filled with anger, met mine, I realized my mistake.

This time, I was the one who had erred.

I indeed had fault in forcing unwanted affections onto him. This time, my mistake was undeniable.

Though I stopped the lady, I hadn’t given Michail a proper answer. I had merely said, ‘Please speak kindly,’ and ‘Don’t act too coldly.’ It would be shameless to say I had no fault.

Only after uttering those words did I realize that saying ‘Isn’t it time to forget?’ was nothing but a guilt-free complaint.

Michail took long strides towards me.

Seeing the strength in his steps, a bitter smile spread across my face. I knew what was angering him.

Michail looked up at me and said,

“Do you think you have the right to say that?”

“…”

“When I told you to stop, you ignored me. Now you think it’s fair to tell me to forget?”

“…”

Michail didn’t know my circumstances.

He didn’t try to understand.

He had no intention of listening.

The reason why it had to be this way.

The reason it had to be like this, which Michail didn’t try to understand, made me a bit angry.

I didn’t want to torment him either.

I didn’t want to torment Yuria.

I didn’t want to be hated by the students.

I had no hobby of being despised.

Still, the reason I had no choice but to do this was a foolish one. A foolish excuse for a better future and to protect everyone.

Ultimately, it was to protect the lady.

I lacked the power to stop someone from something they liked. I dreaded the backlash from stopping something they enjoyed.

I wanted to say it too.

Do you understand my feelings?

Being wrongfully involved.

Being cursed for something done for others.

Do you understand how I feel, being criticized for saving a life?

Even so, my fault wouldn’t disappear.

So I smiled.

Not because this was something I intended to happen.

It was merely a whim, something I did wanting to forget like a passing wind, so I smiled as I looked at Michail.

Of course, it felt unfair, and there were lots of things I wanted to say, but I liked the lady and held responsibility for being a sort of reincarnated individual.

I had no hobby of becoming a hero. Unfortunately.

It’s more fun to be a villain who can laugh and joke rather than a hero with a tragic backstory. Smiling, I watched Michail approach.

“I don’t know.”

“What?”

“Why do I need to earn the right to say something? If I want to say it, I can.”

“Sigh…”

Michail let out a hollow laugh.

Seeing Michail’s angry and annoyed reaction to my honest and non-pretentious words, I asked, puzzled.

“You were the one who first picked a fight, Michail. From our first meeting until now.”

“When have I ever…”

“Don’t you remember? To me…”

“I don’t want to hear it. I don’t want to remember anything related to you. Shut up.”

“…I see.”

Nodding under the streetlight, I tried to erase my gloomy feelings. No matter what I said, my words wouldn’t reach Michail.

Well, what can I do.

I disliked him just as much.

Nodding, I began to voice the question I had in mind towards Michail.

“Hey Michail.”

“I said I don’t want to hear it.”

Ignoring his refusal, I said kindly, “Why do you wield your sword, Michail?”

“…What?”

“I was suddenly curious. I wondered why a righht?”

“That’s because… to protect the weak from villains like you.”

Michail’s rigid, parroted answer made me chuckle as I sensed a fragment.

“Then why am I a villain?”

“…”

“Of course, I’m a criminal worthy of being called a villain by you, but when you think about it, I’m also your benefactor, right?”

“That’s not true. I could have defeated them on my own.”

“Then should we delve deeper? Into what you don’t remember…”

[There are constraints in place.]

“Darn…”

[Further statements may negatively impact the subject ‘Michail’.]

[Will you proceed regardless?]

With a bitter smile, I shook my head.

‘I almost made a mistake.’

Michail, who couldn’t hear the whole story, glared at me, hesitating with a sharp expression, but I shook my head with a wry smile.

“It’s nothing. Really.”

“Why? Don’t tell me. Once you start, it seems like you have nothing to say?”

“Hmm… Well, you’ll find out someday.”

I nodded at Michail.

“Anyway, when you think about it, I am ultimately a good person. I share bread with orphans and show mercy to begging boys and girls. I have a warm heart.”

“Evil people do that too, hiding their dark intentions.”

I smiled.

This time, Michail had bitten the bait I had thrown, so I thought I had him by the neck.

‘Gotcha.’

“Then, Michail, why did you accept the duel?”

“Because my master asked me to…”

“Does Michail do everything your master asks of you? How indecisive.”

“Don’t mock me. One day I’ll…”

“Yes, Michail can solve those issues later. Right now, I’m asking something else. Why did you participate in the duel?”

“I told you. Because my master asked.”

I smiled.

“You said you wield your sword for justice.”

“…”

“Then who is the justice in this duel?”

I took a step closer to Michail.

“Hanna? Or your master, known as the Sword of the Empire?”

“Is Hanna an evildoer in your eyes?”

Trying not to give Michail a chance to back down, I pressed.

“Is Hanna an evildoer jus ties?”

“Didn’t you listen to Hanna’s story? You wouldn’t have entered the duel without hearing it, would you?”

I aimed to give Michail a fragment.

Although breaking the opponent’s morale in battle is a strategy, I spoke to Michail for the sake of his future.

It was a lesson I wanted to tell Michail, who would now have to get accustomed to killing, and it was a belief he needed to have.

I felt today might be the last chance I’d have to tell Michail this, so despite knowing it would be tough, I hoped Michail would accept it.

“Why are you so biased?”

“I’m biased?”

“Yes.”

“In what way am I biased?”

“In every way. Entering the duel without knowing what’s at stake and without understanding the circumstances is biased, don’t you think?”

Michail explained to me.

Trying to justify himself.

“My master is Hanna’s father, so to lead her onto a better path…”

“I see.”

“So, if I could be the key in that…”

“Hmm…”

“That would mean it’s for Hanna’s sake…”

“I understand.”

I nodded, noticing the confusion in Michail’s expression.

He was flustered.

Perhaps realizing his mistake subconsciously, Michail’s expression seemed to justify himself to me, which led me to think that was enough.

And then, I spoke, encouraging him to persist with his fragment.

“That’s right.”

“What?”

“I’m the same. I acted and made decisions for the best of the person I value.”

Michail glared at me.

“I am not like you.”

I smiled and nodded at Michail’s words.

“That’s right. Michail is not like me. So wield your sword with a light heart going forward.”

“…”

“It’s advice from an old friend.”

Michail couldn’t reply this time either.

And I left Michail.

Michail clenched his fist and gazed at me.

“I will win.”

Whom he intended to win against.

I didn’t bother thinking about it.

*

Hanna swung her sword alone.

To make Ricardo’s displayed technique her own.

Just like small ripples forming in a calm puddle, slowly and with concentration, she swung her sword.

On the tenth day,

-Scrape.

Hanna found the reason for her sword.

End of Chapter