The Villainess Whom I Had Served for 13 Years Has Fallen

Life in the capital was reaching its final days.

Many events.

Tangled relationships.

Conversations with people I thought I would dislike.

Though the journey began amidst a web of worries, it seemed to turn into a meaningful time from which I could take away a lot.

Early morning at the Desmond mansion.

I stood in front of the mirror, rummaging through the closet like a high school student picking out clothes for a field trip.

"Sigh… Everything feels awkward no matter what I wear."

I tried on a black coat that reached down to my waist and then shook my head.

I felt too bulky, and compared to the weather, it seemed I was dressed too lightly… and wearing a fur coat would make me feel like a nouveau riche…

It was quite challenging to choose what to wear.

I practically knew zero about fashion, always dressed in the butler's uniform, so it was naturally tough to find something satisfying.

‘I want to look stylish.'

Today was a date with the young lady, after all.

I wanted to look my best, good enough that passersby might ask for my number. That was the duty of a butler who lifts the young lady's spirits, and my private amusement for teasing her. I also wanted to receive her compliments, naturally.

That's probably why I was putting more effort than usual into choosing my outfit.

On the bed lay a mound of clothes I had tried and then discarded – the differences among them were subtle, like a check pattern or black knit, but nothing seemed just right, making me sigh deeply.

"Is the coat too much…?"

‘I do want to look good…'

The destination for the date with the young lady wasn't some backwater village like Hamel, but rather a theater in the capital, and so there was much to consider in choosing my attire.

Many nobles frequented the place, and there might be encounters with past academy peers who were bad blood. I had to dress as if I was living well.

I was somewhat excited, too.

A theater…

It's been a long time since I've been to one.

As you know, I'm not familiar with plays, or high culture in general. Neither in my previous life nor in this one have I had much to do with the hobbies of the nobility like musicals or concerts.

More concern was given to studying how to tease the young lady than understanding culture, and more focus on defeating others than on moving them, so naturally, I didn't know much about the culture of theater.

Though I had accompanied the young lady to a few plays, I never chose one myself. So when it was time to pick a play to watch with her, it was a bit of a struggle.

-Young lady, what would you like to see?

-Anything.

-Speak before I flick your forehead. ‘Anything' is a word that brings a butler unhappiness.

-Um… I don't know. Let's just watch something you like. Not what I like this time, but what you like.

-Get ready for the flick.

I flicked the young lady's forehead. Nevertheless, she gave the same answer, and suddenly I found myself in deep contemplation.

Romance.

Action.

Comedy.

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Wrestling with which of the empire's numerous plays would please the young lady.

Unable to come to a satisfactory conclusion, I sought advice from Yuria.

-Hm… Who are you going with?

-I'm planning to watch it with the young lady.

-And with me?

-What?

-Nevermind… How about this one?

Yuria recommended the most popular play among the students. Not famous, but one she said was the best she had ever seen.

Love and melodrama.

Action and comedy.

And a play that made one's heart race.

-This should be safe.

Trusting the words of a female lead with more experience rather than my own senseless intuition, I decided to follow Yuria's advice.

I continued to rummage through the closet with a small smile.

"Maybe the butler's uniform is best after all."

I glanced at the butler uniform tucked away in the corner of the closet and then shook my head. The young lady had told me to dress up nicely for today.

So, I picked up a neatly ironed black suit.

"Let's go with this."

*

As I descended neatly dressed to the first floor of the mansion, I caught a glimpse of the young lady's back, clad in a black dress.

The young lady, having received assistance from the servants for the first time in a long while.

I swallowed hard at the sight of her elegant figure.

The black dress, adorned with tiny black pearls, gave the illusion of a moonlit night even in the early morning.

Having only seen her in plain attire until now, I had forgotten – she truly was a noble, after all.

Suppressing my beating heart, I continued down the stairs. One step. Two steps. Despite the sound of my slow descent, the young lady did not turn around.

"Have you been waiting long?"

I gently touched the young lady's back, smiling mischievously as I spoke.

"You look very beautiful today."

The young lady's ears turned slightly red, though she did not look back.

Wondering if she was embarrassed, I peeked at her side profile.

"Ugh…!"

I was met with the young lady's pale and distressed face.

"Euuaaah…"

The young lady gasped for breath, clutching her stomach. She was battling the tight corset.

With a panicked expression, she shouted at me.

"Ricardo! I'm dying…"

"Pffft!"

Today was the day for our date.

The young lady had dressed up with particular care.

Standing behind her, I grasped the handle of the ‘Ferrari' wheelchair and gave it a slight push.

"Shall I loosen it?"

"No…! I'm slim, it's fine."

While the young lady's determination to look beautiful was admirable, I preferred her usual self.

"If you keep the corset on, you won't be able to eat much."

"Then I'll take it off."

I chuckled softly to myself.

*

In front of the grand theater.

Arriving at the theater just the two of us, I hesitated before entering, a blank look on my face.

"Aren't you going in?"

"No, I will. But why are there so many people?"

"It's always like this."

The young lady flashed a composed smile, exuding the elegance of nobility. A subtle sneer of ‘country bumpkin' seemed to be written on her face.

"We go in through the main gate."

"Ah… The main gate."

The crowd made every action feel tentative. I worried about looking rustic or being a bother to the young lady.

Although we reserved VIP seats, I, unsure of the way, pushed the wheelchair towards a side door instead of the entrance.

"We're not supposed to go this way."

"Is it this complicated because the theater is new?"

"That's right."

The young lady nodded slightly.

"I'm excited; it's a new place."

Expectation was evident on the young lady's face. I peeked out beside her, wearing a slight smile.

"Let's enjoy ourselves today."

"Yes."

"We'll order snacks and… maybe skip the beer, just soft drinks."

"Why!?"

"Drunk driving is a no-no."

The young lady nodded at the mention of drunk driving,

"Drunk driving is bad."

She was indeed a quick learner.

I felt a bit clumsy as I approached the ticket counter to collect our reserved tickets.

"VIP seats for both of you, correct?"

"Yes."

"Let me guide you… Oh…"

The attendant gave an awkward smile as she looked at the young lady.

"Ah… That…"

Her awkward smile was due to the staircase which the wheelchair could not ascend. Her discomfort at the situation was plain to see.

I offered the attendant a reassuring smile and knelt beside the young lady.

"Young lady."

"Hm?"

Clutching the tickets, the young lady looked puzzled at me, her face asking why we weren't heading inside already. I shifted slightly, presenting my back to her.

"It seems difficult for the wheelchair to make it up the stairs."

The young lady spoke confidently.

"The ‘Ferrari' can climb stairs."

"How about riding on my back for a change?"

"Hmm…"

After a moment's hesitation, the young lady shyly wrapped her arms around my neck.

"Let's go."

Urging me on with a small pat, the young lady had me chuckling as I gave the attendant a small nod.

"Please keep the chair in a safe place for us."

"Of course. I apologize for the inadequacy of our service."

"Don't mention it."

As I ascended the staircase slowly, I could faintly sense the palpitations of the young lady's heart.

The dimly lit stairs leading to the VIP room.

The young lady murmured to me in a soft voice,

"Ricardo."

"Yes?"

"It will be fun, right?"

"Of course. Who chose the play, after all?"

"Right? Just…"

The young lady said in a hushed tone.

"Thank you."

The VIP room was opulent.

Bright lights dispelled the darkness, and soft music filled the space.

Plush velvet-covered chairs seemed to suggest we were the only ones in the theater.

The actors greeted us from below, and among the many people, couples stood out.

The young lady beckoned to me with a bright smile.

"Wow…."

Hearing her small exclamation of amazement, I murmured softly,

"I'm glad we came."

"What?"

"Nothing."

The title of the play was [A Sad Love Story of a Girl].

It was a poignant tale of love.