The Villainess Whom I Had Served for 13 Years Has Fallen

Royal Academy Girls' Dormitory.

In a place filled with dreams and hopes, the laughter of a girl brimming with excitement could be heard.

"Wow…"

The girl, with a fluttering heart, lay on her bed.

The girl, with pink hair, was Yuria, the protagonist of "The Strongest Ones at the Academy Like Me."

Feeling good since morning, Yuria lay in bed, looking at a sealed letter.

[Sender: Ricardo]

Holding the letter, which came with a red seal and the scent of lilac perfume, close to her chest, Yuria smiled pleasantly in the morning sunlight.

It was the first letter she had ever received from Ricardo. A letter she had never gotten while attending the academy.

Today's letter marked a different starting point.

It was still awkward, and there were remnants of bitterness in their hearts, but starting from ‘friends' felt like a notably different distance to Yuria.

Perhaps, it was an exhilarating emotion.

An emotion Yuria hadn't felt with others, she experienced from just one insignificant letter.

Though things were still awkward with Ricardo, Yuria harbored hope that they could someday return to how they were before.

She didn't want to dwell on the past conflicts forever. It would take time, but perhaps… their halted relationship would progress again. Yuria hugged the letter closer with a shy smile.

"Ah… nice."

What could the letter contain?

Surely, it would start with a greeting worrying about the cold weather. "The weather in Hamel is quite cold. I worry you might catch a cold in this harsh winter."

And the next lines would probably begin with trivial stories.

Light daily life stories.

What she ate today.

Or lightly written about interesting events she didn't know.

And perhaps… that he missed her.

"What am I thinking…"

Her face flushed with foolish thoughts.

Like a favorite sausage side dish she wanted to save and savor, she wanted to keep wanting to see him. Though he was someone she used to dislike, she couldn't stop feeling excited and smiling.

Yuria wanted to indulge in this feeling a little longer. Something about… this thrilling moment was enjoyable.

"I don't know…"

Yuria liked Ricardo.

Despite being shy and easily embarrassed, in the realm of love, she had always been quick to be self-aware.

She acknowledged she liked men with red hair, cool appearances, and fiery personalities.

She couldn't pinpoint the exact moment or date, but from some point on, Ricardo appeared in her dreams, and she liked having him sit next to her, dining alone.

Regardless of what others said.

Even if they ridiculed them for being lowly people together, Yuria liked Ricardo's kind smile.

Because.

She had no one else by her side back then.

Now, Michail and Ruin were her inseparable friends, but since they weren't there during her tough times, it seemed she had grown more attached and fond of them.

Yuria closed her eyes with a fluttering smile.

She kept thinking about it.

When she was crying at the recycling station, Ricardo's nonchalant approach and conversation flashed before her eyes.

His calm voice asking "Why are you crying here?" felt vividly real when she closed her eyes.

Perhaps, she had slowly and gradually opened up to Ricardo.

Of course, the fact that Ricardo matched her ideal type played a big role, but she felt he had a masculinity that Michail and Ruin lacked.

They were all friends, but the weight of their presence felt different. When they weren't close, Ruin, Michail, and even the Crown Prince were just bystanders.

That's why she was deeply disappointed in Ricardo.

She felt more despair at Ricardo's cold behavior that turned its back on her suddenly.

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And.

She felt even more guilt about stabbing Ricardo with her own hands. She was hated for something she hadn't done, and scolded for gathering the courage to act.

What to say? Yuria couldn't find the right words.

Taking a deep breath, Yuria opened the envelope with trembling hands.

A letter from Ricardo.

What words Ricardo wrote, Yuria had no idea.

That made her more expectant and nervous.

-Creak…

Yuria, pulling out the letter from the envelope, closed her eyes tight, excited.

She counted to three in her mind.

One.

Two.

Three.

What could it…

With a heart full of anticipation, Yuria opened her eyes, and the first word she uttered was an exclamation filled with complex emotions.

"…Huh?"

Yuria was taken aback upon seeing the content of the letter.

And with good reason.

"What did he write?"

She couldn't read it.

Ricardo did give a heads-up about his bad handwriting, but she didn't expect it to be this bad.

Yuria frowned, struggling to read the letter.

"Ah… hello…"

Yuria felt fortunate for the first time that she attended those boring ancient language classes. What she thought was useless study turned out to be useful now.

Reading Ricardo's letter became easier, and Yuria praised her past self, "Good job on learning and paying attention."

Yuria frowned, trying hard to read the letter.

It was precious.

Even if it was a terrible handwriting.

Finding the thread of her first love, Yuria felt happy.

*

On a bright morning at the mansion.

Sitting on the bed with the lady for the first time in a while and watching outside, the two misfits enjoyed the joy of success while sipping warm black tea.

"Gulp… Hmm… It's quite a heavy taste."

"Right… It's bitter but also dense."

Having only drunk cheap green tea before, the lady used sophisticated vocabulary. Holding the teacup handle and "gulp," feeling the cold wind, then again "gulp," drinking, she looked every bit the noble.

They say the company makes the man. It seemed like money had indeed made both the lady and me.

Drinking the black tea, crafted by an artisan's hands, the lady and I exchanged sophisticated smiles, feeling a connection.

It felt like we understood what each other wanted.

"I can't tell what it tastes like at all."

"Yeah. It used to taste good, but now it's bland and tasteless."

The lady set down her teacup, offering a wise conclusion. She wasn't ready for such a luxurious black tea after having her palate accustomed to cheaper food.

Of course, I felt the same.

It definitely tasted good, but something was missing. I wasn't particularly interested in tea, so I wasn't sure, but it definitely wasn't my cup of tea.

The lady, frowning truthfully, stuck out her tongue at me.

"I want cocoa."

"I'll make two cups then."

"Put marshmallows in mine."

"You'll get fat."

The lady, hanging her head sullenly, nodded at the butler's firm words.

"Then chocolate."

"That's even worse."

"Boring."

The lady was indeed more than she seemed.

Just as we were about to take the teacups with remaining black tea downstairs.

The lady, staring blankly out the window, shouted upon seeing the released Gomtang in the yard.

-Goooom!

"Quiet!"

-Goooom!

"Shut up!"

"Leave it be. Isn't it just happy?"

"But it's noisy."

The lady threw a piece of jerky from her treasure pouch to Gomtang, telling it to be quiet. The sight of her, a child from a wealthy family, ensuring a proper reward made me nod in agreement.

But.

Why was Gomtang barking?

Gomtang rarely barked.

Gomtang barking meant a guest had arrived at the mansion, but according to my understanding, there should be no guests.

All debts were paid, so no debt collectors would come.

I tilted my head in confusion and walked towards the lady.

"Didn't you hear a noise?"

The lady, leaning on the window with an indifferent expression, replied.

"No."

"Is that so?"

Suddenly. A man's shouting voice came from the window.

-Let go…!

The vaguely familiar voice made me look at the lady with a question mark over my head.

"Doesn't seem like it's nothing?"

-Let go! You bear cub!

-Goom.

-Let me go!

-Goom Goom!

-Before I burn you to ash, let go…!

-Goooom!

"Lady?"

The lady, hearing the man's screams from outside, pretended not to know and remained nonchalant. She just stared blankly, seemingly fascinated.

"As if nothing's wrong," she told me.

"Gomtang is playing with grass."

"Grass?"

"Yeah…. A toy that looks like algae came, so."

I slowly looked outside.

There was Gomtang, biting someone's pants and roaming the yard.

"Ah."

I turned back and headed to the kitchen.

"It's nothing."

I was startled, thinking it was a guest, but thankfully it wasn't.

Because it wasn't a guest.

I cheered for Gomtang, hoping it would thoroughly clean the yard.