The Villainess Whom I Had Served for 13 Years Has Fallen - Chapter 348



348 – The Overwhelmed Deathmunt Family -2-

– Thump… thump…

Today, too, in the peaceful lady’s mansion living room.

“Ohhh…”

“Glug…”

“That’s right…”

In the living room, the Deathmunt family, with their fists tightly clenched, was swallowing their saliva as they watched the lady sitting in the Pexley No. 1.

Darvab was holding back tears, his eyes reddened.

“Sniff… Olivia. Don’t push yourself.”

Kyle, unable to bear the sight, kept bowing his head and shaking it.

“Haah… I can’t watch. What if she falls….”

Rosanna, too, was wiping her eyes with a handkerchief while gazing at the lady.

“Ugh… You can do it, our daughter.”

The lady sitting in the Pexley No. 1 clenched her fists and looked at me, and I nodded in encouragement, having prepared my heart for her.

“Whoo…!”

The Pexley No. 1 is trembling.

The lady’s hands, bearing the weight of her body in the wheelchair, were shaking slightly. Sweat dripped from her furrowed brow, and my smile began to fade.

It was tense.

I wasn’t afraid of her failing. If she wasn’t feeling well, she could fail or succeed. What I feared was that if she fell in front of her supportive family, it might break her spirit.

“Yikes…!”

‘You can do it!’

“Yikes!!!!”

With the attention of many upon her, the lady gathered her strength and began to move her body, and soon the Deathmunt family started to gasp in awe as they watched her slowly lift her bottom off the wheelchair’s seat.

“Olivia!!!”

“Well done… my sister.”

“Huff… it’s a miracle.”

I felt a swell of pride.

Though it wasn’t my doing, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of fulfillment watching the lady being welcomed.

Slowly, very slowly.

It was the moment when the lady, who had only shown signs of sitting for a long time, began to take her first steps.

They weren’t grand steps, but still.

“Huuu!!!”

Some might compare the lady’s steps to those of a newborn calf and scoff.

“Eeeeeeeek!!!”

But everyone here was watching her steps with more significance than anyone else.

“Whoa!”

The lady, now standing, took a deep breath in front of those with reddened eyes. Placing her hand on her chest and steadying her breath, she glanced at me and then let out a soft ‘hee-hee’ as she beamed a bright smile.

“Haha.”

Her clear smile brought a smile to my own lips. The tension in my heart was transforming into joy.

Though she is the lady I serve, I couldn’t help but think how wonderful she was, but perhaps that was just the infatuation talking. After all, I was quite smitten.

So then.

“It’s not over yet!”

“Show us something magnificent, my lady.”

The lady spread her hands to stop Darvab, who was about to rush in for a hug. She added a meaningful remark, implying there was still more to show.

“Uh…”

Darvab, frozen like ice, nodded at the lady’s palm, and as he watched her slowly begin to move her feet, his eyes widened in astonishment.

“This is…”

One step.

“Olivia…”

Two steps.

The expression on the lady’s face, focused as she was, couldn’t be called beautiful. Her lips were pursed, and her entire being was concentrated solely on her steps.

I added a narration from the side, as if the lady wanted to say this.

“The lady’s record is two steps.”

“Surely…!”

“Don’t provoke Olivia, Ricardo.”

“…Mom believes in Olivia.”

“Right now, this moment is when the young lady sets a new record!”

The corners of the young lady’s mouth twitched upward, as if she had heard something she longed to hear. I smiled at her and gave her a thumbs up, encouraged by her reaction.

Because I believe she can do it.

So…

“Yikes!!!”

– Thud!

I prayed for her to show us something magnificent.

*

– Drip. Drip. Drip.

That evening, after the young lady’s ‘Welcome Ceremony for Her First Steps?’ had concluded with much fanfare.

As I entered the bathhouse after dinner, I smiled at the familiar figures already inside, their backs turned to me.

They were men with sturdy muscles, not quite what one would expect from wizards.

Darvab and Kyle were sitting in the bath, animatedly discussing the events of the day.

“That was incredible.”

“Right?”

“Not just one step, but three! We should hire an artist to capture this moment.”

“Good idea. I’ll consider it positively.”

“How about the title ‘First Steps for the World’?”

“Sounds good.”

There was no denying they were a bunch of doting fathers.

I walked over to Darvab and Kyle, smiling softly, and casually asked, “Did you enjoy it?”

“Huh?!”

“Um.”

“Hahaha…”

“Ricardo.”

“Yes, it’s Ricardo.”

The two nodded, then once more bobbed their heads as they gazed at the place shrouded in hazy steam.

“It’s always a gruesome sight.”

“…I think it’s the finest in the Empire. No, in the world.”

“Uh… um. Thank you.”

Darvab replied with a nod.

“Take pride in it. It’s one of the highest compliments a man can give.”

My face flushed at Darvab’s serious tone, which belied the playful nature of his words. They were anything but ordinary, after all.

“May I sit beside you?”

“Of course.”

“Please, sit.”

Dipping my toes slightly into the water, I settled into the seat next to Darvab and Kyle, letting out a deep breath. The warm water enveloped me, easing my tension.

A moment of silence passed.

Darvab.

Me.

Kyle.

Time flowed in silence, with no words spoken.

And then, “…how’s your body?”

Darvab broke the silence, initiating the conversation.

“Are you alright?”

He looked at the wall of the bathhouse as he asked me about my well-being. Meanwhile, Kyle pressed his lips together tightly, staring into the void with his eyes gently closed.

A question arose in my mind.

‘Why is he asking about my body?’ Today, the lady is the main character. I couldn’t understand why he would direct such a question at me, but Darvab seemed to sense my confusion and added a follow-up.

“I heard you and Kyle talking.”

“…”

“About how you’re ruining your body.”

‘Ah…’

“I didn’t mean to eavesdrop; it just happened by chance.”

“…”

“You’re ruining your own body to heal Olivia’s legs.”

“No, I’m not.”

Darvab ignored my denial and continued steadfastly, as if to say that feeble lies wouldn’t work.

“The price will be your lifespan.”

“…”

“If it weren’t your lifespan, such a miracle wouldn’t be possible.”

“It’s not dark magic.”

“I don’t care if it’s dark magic or not. What matters is that you chose to sacrifice for Olivia, and that’s what angers me.”

“…That’s…”

Darvab let out a long sigh and spoke in a muffled voice.

“When you first came to this mansion, I wasn’t particularly pleased to see you.”

“…”

“When Olivia brought home a strange little brat and said she would make you her ‘butler,’ I honestly wasn’t thrilled. There are plenty of smart ones, and many nobles who want to work in Deathmunt. Why did it have to be someone from the slums…?”

“…”

“I even thought… I thought you might be a spy sent from another house. As you know, Deathmunt has many enemies.”

“Is that so…?”

“I figured it would be fine since Olivia liked you, since you were a child she took under her wing. I thought you would run away soon because of Olivia’s personality.”

“…”

“But you endured, and you learned what Olivia likes and dislikes, making her happy. To be honest, Olivia’s personality isn’t exactly the best.”

“You knew that.”

“Hahaha! Of course. If it weren’t for Deathmunt, your family would have been wiped out long ago.”

Darvab continued, his laughter booming, as if to express relief that Olivia had been colored by my presence.

“A blessing in disguise.”

“…”

“When the family was on shaky ground, the information you provided was a great help.”

“…”

“The days of doubting you for knowing too much are long gone. Now, I only feel pride.”

Darvab exhaled deeply.

“I’m glad Olivia is starting to resemble you. So…”

Darvab squeezed his eyes shut and spoke.

“Stop your reckless behavior here.”

“…”

“I no longer want to neglect you out of my own desires.”

“…”

“When I heard about you and Kyle, I turned a blind eye as a father… but not anymore.”

“…”

“We must continue together, don’t you think?”

Tears glistened in Darvab’s eyes.

“I’ve had enough of good dreams.”

*

At the same time.

In the women’s bath, Rosanna was washing Olivia’s hair. The two women, mother and daughter, covered their inherited, formidable chests with towels as they engaged in light chatter.

“Ugh…”

“Stay still.”

“Ugh, ugh, ugh…”

As Rosanna washed Olivia’s hair, she spoke softly.

“Olivia.”

“Yes?”

“What do you think of Ricardo?”

Olivia turned her head to look at Rosanna.

“…Huh?”