The Villainess Whom I Had Served for 13 Years Has Fallen - Chapter 12



12 – Uninvited Guest – Part 2

“Hoo….”

Hannah brewed hot green tea.

As the white steam caressed my teacup in my cold hands, and I sipped the tea, Hannah shivered.

Hanna forced a awkward smile and made an apologetic expression.

“I’m sorry. It was so sudden, wasn’t it? I’m the type of person who needs to eat what I want right away…”

A question came to mind, but she didn’t bother asking.

She felt sorry for the drenched Hanna.

And she was annoyed by Hanna’s insistence on eating tasteless green tea.

“Since you have such a refined palate, I learned the art of making tea from the East seven years ago. I think it’s because this art makes the tea more flavorful.”

“hahahaha… Is that so? Somehow, it tastes better.”

“Thank you for saying it’s delicious. It makes me feel good.”

Lies. In reality, whether it’s from the East or anywhere else, she had given it to the lady when it was brewed in green.

The lady had a cheap taste and preferred cocoa over fancy tea.

She lied to make sure the lady wasn’t embarrassed.

I watched Hanna closely.

Her swollen eyes.

Her eyelids were reddened as if she had shed a handful of tears, making my mouth feel heavy.

It seemed like I should console her with a question about whether she was okay, rather than asking why she came here.

I hesitated for a moment.

Honestly, I never imagined she would come here. Logically, I didn’t even dream of her coming to this mansion, which was already a deserted place, through the pouring rain.

The current time is 7:00 PM.

It’s the time when the sun has set.

The sky outside the window was dark and rainy.

It didn’t take much thought to figure out what was going on.

A noble lady came to my house unexpectedly at an early dinner hour, and that too, just to drink tasteless green tea? This was beyond ridiculous.

It seemed that Hanna had run away from home, somehow.

The sound of Hanna scratching the old teacup with her fingernail was heard. She bit her lip and deep in thought.

The awkward atmosphere was uncomfortable.

“It’s raining a lot, isn’t it?”

“Yes.”

“It seems like the laundry won’t dry, which is a problem.”

Hanna and I made eye contact. I replied with a small smile, not saying a word.

If she were to ask what’s wrong, would she respond? No, she wouldn’t. Right now, she probably needed some time to think quietly rather than being bombarded with questions.

I needed that time when I ran away from the orphanage. Back then, I spent time with homeless men at the subway station, but this world doesn’t have a meeting place like Seoul Station, so I must have come to our house.

Perhaps this place is a subway station to Hanna.

A quiet and sheltered place to escape the rain.

It didn’t feel bad, as it was like looking at my past self. I even wanted to take care of her.

Sip. I looked out the window while drinking tea.

“Green tea is the best when it rains.”

“It seems to ease the mind.”

“Would you like some more?”

Hanna replied firmly.

“It’s okay.”

As expected, our home’s green tea must not taste good.

If only I had expensive tea leaves, I would show you a heavenly flavor, but unfortunately, I had already sold the expensive tea leaves as second-hand.

“I’ll treat you to better tea later.”

“It’s already good enough now.”

She shivered. She looked freezing, and her lips seemed pale.

I had given her a coat, but it seems it was not enough.

I had intended to give her clothes to change into after her bath, but now it felt like I should give them to her.

Even her subtly visible underwear.

Because she might catch a cold.

I gazed out the window with a sense of worry.

As time passed, worry piled up on Hanna’s face. It seemed like her problems were not easily solved.

I thought if I had time, it would work itself out, but it seemed that conversation was more necessary than time.

The day was getting colder.

The temperature was dropping.

Hanna’s complexion wasn’t improving either.

By the time we finished the tea, she started wiping away the rain that had fallen on the floor, getting ready to leave the mansion.

She looked pitiful, crouched down, wiping the rain.

A musty smell rose from the old floorboards. In my desperation, I reached out to snatch the rag she was using.

“Hey?”

Unintentionally intertwined hands.

Hanna and I accidentally held hands. It was incredibly embarrassing. I had only tried to avoid giving any instructions to the guest. I must have been anxious.

Hanna…

She held the towel tightly with no reaction.

With a concealed troubled heart, I calmly said, “Just relax.”

“No, I’ll be going home directly.”

“Do you intend to make me a freeloader?”

Even if they were a runaway teenager, taking away the butler’s work was unforgivable. It was fine to ask the guest to do the dishes, but making them mop the floor was something only lower-level butlers did.

And I didn’t want to ask a runaway teenager to do such a thing.

“Please, have a seat.”

“Still, it’s dirty because of me. I should clean it.”

“It’s alright.”

Hanna tightly gripped the towel.

She displayed a strong determination not to let go.

I waited in silence.

Until she relaxed her grip.

Hanna, with her head bowed deeply.

A brief moment passed.

When the warmth of her palm met Hanna’s cold hand, there was a sudden sensation on the back of the hand holding the towel.

A small droplet. It wasn’t a droplet falling from wet hair due to the rain; it was a slightly heavier droplet carrying emotions.

“You know, Mr. Butler.”

Inside the echoing mansion, even the tiniest sound felt like a roar. Hanna’s voice, wet and muffled, resonated quietly.

“Yes.”

I responded softly.

“Do you know what today is? It’s my birthday.”

“Oh… Happy birthday.”

“But why can’t I receive any congratulations?”

Hanna kept her eyes fixed on the floor.

Even without seeing her face, I felt like I could tell what kind of expression she had.

Birthday.

It might not be a grand day, but it’s a day when you want to rest and be celebrated, just like on your own birthday. I wanted to take care of Miss just as well on her birthday.

It was the same in my past life.

Even if I was swamped with work, I would leave early and buy a cake or something on my birthday. The birthday gifts friends gave me weren’t anything special, but I was so grateful for them.

In my memories, a birthday was the happiest day and yet strangely a day with a lot of loneliness.

Hanna said.

“The person who wished me a happy birthday today is the first for you, Sir.”

“This… is an honor.”

“Is that so?”

Hanna nodded her head.

No matter how much I thought about it, it seemed like she was facing something she couldn’t find an answer to.

“You know, Sir. Why am I so wrong? I wanted to be praised by my dad and be a proud sister or brother to my siblings.”

Hot tears poured down on the back of her hand.

Is it a sin not to have talent?

Hanna’s weak soliloquy echoed in the mansion.

The warmth of Hanna’s hand that I could feel on the back of my hand.

My heart ached.

“I told my dad that today. I said I would beat Senior Mikhail.”

She buried her forehead in my hand.

“Do you know what my dad said? He told me not to have such presumptuous thoughts. Do you think the same, Sir? No, right? No, it’s not.”

Hanna asked, raising her head.

“If he’s your dad, he should be able to support you, even with empty words, right?”

I’ve never had parents, so I don’t know for sure. But I know that typical parents don’t act like that. It’s because that’s what I imagined my parents to be like in the past. I wished they would praise me and support me.

I don’t have the confidence to console.

I haven’t consoled much, and I haven’t received much consolation, so I thought I might say something that would hurt her.

However, right now, at this moment, I felt like I had to do something. I don’t know much about Hanna in the two short weeks I’ve known her.

I decided to share what I’ve learned during that time.

“Hannah, I have something to say. I don’t invest in things that have no possibility.”

“….”

“You are a very materialistic person. If you calculate and cannot find an answer, you give up.”

“….”

“I’m truly sorry to say this, but if I thought you had no talent, I wouldn’t even mention such a bet.”

Hannah cautiously spoke up.

“Do I have talent?”

“Yes, I swear to the goddess.”

“But I have less talent than my brother and sister….”

“Are those people my test subjects?”

Hannah raised her head and looked at me.

An expression of disbelief.

But it seemed that my firm words pleased her.

[Hannah’s affinity has increased by +15.]

Hannah looked at me.

I felt relieved at her calm expression, which was different from earlier. It was much better to see her like this than crying.

“I am selfish.”

“I know.”

“Just saying that. I seem like a really bad person, right?”

“Heh… that’s right.”

“That’s true. So hurry up and defeat Mikhail and put 10,000 gold in my wallet.”

“…”

“I will

“Her promise is not mine.

Maybe she was going to the adventurer’s guild.

There’s nothing as good as swinging a sword to get rid of distracting thoughts.

Maybe today was her last day in the original story. She might have gambled with a sense of resignation.

Regardless, I plan to put her to sleep in our house today. I also wanted to make a friend for the young lady in the process.

“Go to sleep today.”