The Villainess Whom I Had Served for 13 Years Has Fallen

The Villainess Hosts a Tea Party (6)

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Alcohol can give one the courage to speak.

Sometimes, that courage becomes the key to spitting out the lingering bitterness in one’s heart, and sometimes it becomes a disaster that invites trouble.

Hanna’s words carried both of these elements.

A key to the feelings she hadn’t been able to express to others, and a bullet of jealousy that could upset Yuria.

Yuria bit her lip and remained silent after hearing Hanna’s words.

“I’m not as kind as you think.”

‘…’

She understood that Hanna’s words meant, ‘If your feelings are half-hearted, then disappear.’ The narrative Hanna had just laid out explained it quite clearly.

Yuria had a lot she wanted to say.

She wanted to tell Hanna that the time of her own wavering, of having half-hearted feelings, was over. But Hanna, drunk, kept pouring out her sincerity to Yuria without stopping.

“I’m not as kind as the butler. Maybe it’s because I’m an ignorant woman, but if I think someone is a hindrance, I sever my ties with them.”

Like with Senior Ruin.

Hanna mumbled the last part softly and looked directly at Yuria.

“I know what I’m saying is presumptuous. But I felt like I had to say this to you, senior.”

“…”

“I liked the butler first.”

Hanna spoke clearly, looking at the frozen Yuria. She emphasized that there was an order to things.

“I don’t know what the butler means to you.”

“…”

“It feels similar to me, but also different in some way. I know it’s a complicated relationship. That’s why I don’t understand it. I don’t know what you’re feeling.” Ɽ

Hanna shrugged as she spoke about her own situation, admitting that she was just a coward who couldn’t even confess her love.

“The butler is an idiot, after all.”

Yuria knew that too.

She knew just how much of an idiot Ricardo was.

And Yuria also understood why Hanna was bringing up such questions.

After all, she’d only shown a negative side of herself so far. Whenever Ricardo was mentioned, Yuria would avoid the topic or change the subject, and she didn’t deny that this behavior had given Hanna a bad impression.

Hanna spoke to Yuria.

“It’s not like I don’t know about you, senior. I heard about what happened between you and the butler at the Academy.”

But still.

-Flare!

-Ricardo’s special set of appetizers, seafood pancake, is ready.

“I can’t help but side with the butler. If you still hold bad feelings toward him, senior, then I’ll have no choice but to dislike you.”

“Because I want to be a good person for the butler, who has no one else on his side in this world….”

“He’s the most special person to me, so even though it may sound arrogant, I wanted to say this.”

Hanna knew that her words were aggressive toward Yuria. She knew that siding with Ricardo, despite understanding the twisted relationship, would be hard for Yuria to accept.

After finally getting her words out, Hanna let out a light breath and emptied her glass.

Yuria, who had been quietly listening to Hanna, exhaled heavily and spoke.

“Why do you like Ricardo?”

At Yuria’s fundamental question, Hanna smiled faintly and answered.

“Me?”

“Because when I was going through a time so hard I wanted to die, he was the one who lifted me up…? Maybe because he became the light in my life, which was on the verge of withering like a dying flower.”

Recalling that terrible time, Hanna gripped her glass tightly.

“He’s the one who gave light to someone like me, who was living a pitiful life that no one would have remembered.”

Hanna knew.

Even though she’d only heard fragments of the story, she understood that Yuria had every reason to hate Ricardo, and it was natural for her to feel that way. If she were in Yuria’s shoes, she wouldn’t have been able to easily forgive or like him either.

But.

“He was the first person to tell me I had value.”

Truly.

“He reached out to someone who had been ignored and gave me a miracle. I know my words are selfish, but….”

Hanna, borrowing the courage from her drunkenness, spoke.

“I really like the butler.”

Yuria, clenching her fists, lowered her head and spoke to Hanna in a trembling voice.

“Is that all?”

At Yuria’s question, Hanna smiled brightly and answered.

“No.”

“…”

“I like him because he’s handsome. He’s more handsome and kind than any man in the world, so I like him. Does that make me sound shallow?”

Yuria nodded lightly.

She could understand Hanna’s simple but clear reason. After all, she had fallen for Ricardo for the same reasons.

So, Yuria wasn’t afraid to answer Hanna’s warning. Even if all misunderstandings weren’t resolved, even if they never would be, Yuria, like Hanna, couldn’t give up on that man.

Even with misunderstandings.

Even if they couldn’t be cleared up.

Perhaps, Yuria had always liked Ricardo, and with conviction, she spoke.

“You asked me how I feel about Ricardo, right?”

Yuria looked at Ricardo, who was bustling between tables, carrying plates in both hands.

-Utcha! Ricardo’s special set of appetizers, drug hot dogs, here!

-Eek! The hot dog is longer than my arm!

-I put in some extra effort.

-Ooooooh!

“I feel the same as you.”

Even though he was foolish and had hurt her, she still liked him.

And when she realized that the hurt had come from his concern for her, she liked him even more. Most of all, he was so handsome that Yuria couldn’t give up on her feelings for him.

“I like Ricardo too. So much that every other man in the world looks like a squid compared to him.”

“What….”

“What else? Just like you, I’m someone who’s completely hooked on Ricardo.”

Yuria chuckled as she looked at Ricardo, who was approaching with plates in hand.

“Does that make me sound shallow?”

“Pfft…”

Ricardo, who had arrived at their table, placed the appetizers down and smiled as he voiced his concern.

“Why are you drinking so much?”

Yuria glanced at Hanna and silently mouthed her words.

‘How could you not like him?’

At that very moment, Chartia, who had been sitting alone, not fitting in with the party, was sipping her drink in a corner.

-Gom.

“Don’t eat that.”

-Gom.

The fact that her companion was a bear was a bit of a problem.

But sitting across from Gomtangi and enjoying the drinking session, Chartia smiled to herself, thoroughly enjoying the moment.

She liked this kind of peaceful life.

It wasn’t because she had no close friends. She simply preferred being alone, so she’d gone to a place where there were no people. It definitely wasn’t because Gomtangi was there that she sat in that spot. She definitely didn’t think the smelly beast was cute.

“Lady Chartia. Here are your appetizers…”

“Kyaa!”

Ricardo, who had brought the appetizers, raised an eyebrow at the sight of the princess sitting on the floor drinking.

“Why are you sitting on the floor? There are so many tables.”

“Ah… well.”

Chartia, sitting on the floor, glanced at Gomtangi, who had his bottom firmly planted on the ground, and bit her lip. It was strange for the princess of the empire to be sitting on the floor, showing such an undignified appearance.

‘I should stand up.’

‘I should maintain a dignified, graceful posture like a princess.’

-Gom.

But with the fluffy creature in front of her, Chartia couldn’t bring herself to leave. After a moment of hesitation, she sighed deeply and lifted her hands from the floor.

“I was just sitting here.”

Ricardo smiled and placed the food in front of Gomtangi, who was sitting across from her, and gave a small smile.

“Gomtangi is really cute, isn’t he?”

“…”

“Our Gomtangi likes it when you put your hand in his mouth. If you put it in too deep, he might eat you, but he likes it because it tastes like meat.”

-Goooom!

Ricardo squatted in front of Gomtangi and extended his hand. Gomtangi sniffed Ricardo’s hand and began licking it, growling softly as he started to nibble on it.

“Isn’t it fascinating?”

“Yeah. Are you sure he won’t bite your hand off?”

“Gomtangi isn’t that dumb.”

Chartia smiled and buried her face between her knees, chuckling.

“He’s cute.”

Chartia enjoyed this peaceful life.

She felt more comfortable here, where she could laugh without worry, than in the imperial palace, where she was ignored as a powerless, talentless princess.

On the day everyone left.

As the guests boarded their carriages after the eventful tea party, the young lady wore a sullen expression.

“But I didn’t get to have a pillow fight.”

“You can do it next time.”

The young lady, tipsy from the alcohol, regretted not being able to have the pillow fight. She had been practicing her swing before the tea party, and now she waved her hand with a wistful look in her eyes.

“Goodbye.”

As the footsteps of those leaving faded into the distance, we wrapped up the tea party with a pleasant farewell.

“Thank you for enjoying the event.”

“It was fun. Please invite me again.”

“This kind of tea party is nice.”

“Gomtangi…”

-Gom.

“…”

I looked at Chartia, whose eyes were brimming with tears, and asked.

“Are you crying?”

“N-No!”

“Come by if you’re bored.”

I smiled kindly and said to Chartia.

“I’ll host you for 10 gold per hour.”

And so, the young lady’s first tea party ended in success, with Gomtangi becoming a wallet-keeper for the household.

End of Chapter