The Villainess Whom I Had Served for 13 Years Has Fallen

A Restaurant Named ‘Youlam’ (3)

***

The empty streets of Hamel.

-Step, step.

Walking down the dark street of Hamel, I looked up at the sign of a restaurant at the end of the road.

[Youlam]

“A wandering restaurant, huh…”

What a peculiar name.

It’s currently 11 PM.

Except for a few bars, there were no restaurants with their lights on in Hamel. Yet, the restaurant named ‘Youlam’ was softly glowing in the distance.

But it wasn’t the kind of light that indicated it was open for business.

All the exterior lights of the restaurant were off, so it seemed like they were in the middle of closing.

‘I must be an unwelcome guest…’

A customer showing up at closing time wouldn’t be welcomed. Honestly, I didn’t feel good about it. I wouldn’t like it either if I were in their shoes.

The reason I came to ‘Youlam’ at this late hour was simple: to find out more about a woman named ‘Ella.’

[Ella Lv.13]

Occupation: Former Empire’s Greatest Dancer

Affection: 10

Favorite Topics: Cooking. Customers. Money. Mass. News. Success. A proud mother. A mother without shame. Hope. Miracles.

Disliked Topics: The past. Nobles. Lost child. Nightmares. A shameful mother. Resentment. Hatred. Betrayal.

The affection window I saw earlier in the day contained many stories.

A lost child.

A shameful mother.

And ‘Mass.’

I appreciated her genuine love for cooking, but what caught my eye the most was the desperation of a mother searching for something lost.

Especially the word ‘Mass,’ which raised many questions.

To be clear, this wasn’t my first time meeting the woman named ‘Ella.’

I remembered encountering her in the slums long ago, dressed in ragged clothes, during a time when I was visiting due to some old memories.

Her face, as she searched for a girl named ‘Misa,’ was unforgettable. The expression of a woman who looked like she could collapse at any moment was something I couldn’t forget, even if I wanted to. Saying I had forgotten would be a lie.

At that time, I didn’t place much significance on Ella as a person. There were many adults who came to the slums with regrets. I thought she was just one of many.

But now…

“…”

Things were different.

Was it intuition? Or maybe a reader’s instinct? I felt an inexplicable unease.

I had a gut feeling that the woman named ‘Ella’ was deeply connected to Michail.

Michail’s mother.

Or perhaps a relative of Michail.

‘Misa’ was a name that never appeared in the novel, yet here I was, writing my own story.

With a wry smile, I took a step toward the restaurant. I had to confirm my suspicions.

Through the window, I could see a middle-aged woman cleaning up. All the staff seemed to have gone home, leaving her to tidy up alone. It was an impressionable sight.

Looking at her like this, she didn’t resemble Michail at all. But when I focused on her face, Michail’s image came to mind, and I couldn’t help but chuckle.

“…”

This isn’t easy.

I grabbed the door handle and paused, recalling a particular scene from the novel.

A scene that had caused an explosive reaction from many readers.

-I don’t know someone like you.

-Here, take this. Mom wanted to give it to you…

-Don’t call me mom. I don’t have a mother.

A bitter smile crept onto my face.

As a reader who knew the ending of this story, I couldn’t view this situation in a positive light.

Their reunion, sadly, ended in a bad ending.

“…”

Unable to take sides, I sighed.

I couldn’t side with Michail because her past, briefly mentioned in the novel, was too pitiful.

But I also couldn’t side with Michail’s mother because what she had done was unforgivable.

‘It’s not even confirmed yet. Why am I thinking so deeply…?’

How foolish.

The question lingering in my mind was simple.

-Have you seen a girl named Misa?

Misa was a ‘girl.’

If Ella was indeed Michail’s mother, and if the person she was searching for was Michail…

“…”

A new hypothesis formed in my mind, making me tread carefully.

“Maybe I’ve read too many novels.”

I let out a hollow laugh and carefully pulled on the door of the softly lit restaurant.

-Clunk. As expected, it was locked.

With an awkward smile, I discreetly sent a small amount of aura through the crack of the door. I felt a little guilty, but I had come at this late hour hoping for a coincidence.

The faint aura quietly unlocked the latch without Ella noticing. Once the resistance on the door handle disappeared, I cautiously opened the door and stepped inside.

“Excuse me.”

The creaking sound of the door echoed, and Ella, who had been resting under a single lit lamp, met my gaze.

Startled, she quickly stood up and bowed her head in greeting.

“I’m sorry. We’re closed for the night.”

“Oh… Is that so?”

I lowered my head with a disappointed expression. Then, as if muttering to myself, I quietly said, “Even just a simple bowl of soup would be fine…” and looked at Ella. I tried to appear as hungry as possible, making it hard for her to refuse.

“I’ll eat quickly and leave. I’ll pay double… no, five times the price. Could you make an exception?”

“…Ah

Ella hesitated, clearly flustered. The offer of five times the price was tempting, but she didn’t have any food ready. On top of that, she felt uneasy about sending away a young man who looked so hungry. She stood there, lost in thought.

Seeing her like that, I deliberately turned my back. I couldn’t afford to look like I had an ulterior motive. To leave a natural impression, I turned my body away.

“I’ve made an unreasonable request. I’m sorry.”

“Wait!”

“Yes?”

“Please, have a seat. I’ll prepare something quickly.”

Fortunately, Ella called out to me.

About 10 minutes later, I found myself staring at the food placed on the table. Cold bread, heated soup, and even some stir-fried meat, which she must have prepared quickly as a service. It was a generous meal for an unwelcome guest who showed up so late, and it warmed my heart.

“…”

Ella, who had set the food on the table, stood silently, watching me.

Her eyes held a kind of longing, as if she was holding back some deep emotion. She stood still, holding the tray in both hands.

I glanced up and asked.

Wondering if something was wrong, I asked, “I’ll eat quickly and leave, don’t worry.” Ella snapped out of her daze and waved her hands.

“No, no. It’s fine. Take your time. I was just reminded of my daughter.”

“…”

I got a clue.

I lightly held the fork and asked Ella in a curious tone.

“Your daughter?”

“Yes, I have a daughter.”

“You don’t seem like the type, but you have a daughter?”

“Haha… No, not really.”

“She must be really beautiful, just like you.”

“…”

Ella didn’t respond, only offering a wistful smile.

The conversation continued with small compliments.

Who I was.

Where I lived. When I gave her some information about myself, Ella would share a little of her own. If I mentioned something from the past, she would also open up, within her limits, and talk about her own past.

And then.

If I threw out a bait that resonated with her…

“I once got beaten up badly just for trying to eat a piece of rye bread…”

“You got beaten up over bread?”

“Ah… Actually, I grew up in the slums. Back then, if you didn’t steal, you couldn’t eat.”

“You lived in the slums?”

She took the bait.

“Ah, I’m sorry. I brought up something random. I should be eating quickly. I’m sorry.”

“Which slum did you live in?”

I answered Ella’s question.

The questions continued.

About my past.

About Misa’s mistakes.

We maintained a respectful distance as we continued the conversation, and as the topic shifted to hope, Ella’s eyes began to widen.

And then.

I found the answer.

My steps as I left the restaurant felt heavy.

“…”

I didn’t know what to say.

I didn’t know how to accept it, so I kept letting out meaningless sighs.

-Do you know a girl named Misa?

-I think I’ve heard of her.

I deliberately lied.

-Is she the one with silver hair who carries a teddy bear around?

-Huh…? How did you know?

-…

-Yes, that’s right! She has a white teddy bear, and… and! Oh! She has a mole under her right eye.

I saw Ella’s tears.

My thoughts deepened.

I couldn’t completely erase my doubts, but the image of Michail that I remembered and the girl named ‘Misa’ that Ella remembered were so similar that it felt like I was being stubborn for no reason.

I let out a sigh as I looked up at the brightly lit night sky.

‘Was it wrong from the start?’

Somehow, it felt strange.

The descriptions in the novel.

The mysteriousness of never once undressing in the story.

The unusually small frame. I finally realized how odd it all was.

Honestly, I still couldn’t believe it.

Even if it were true, it wouldn’t change much.

How should I put it…

“Sigh…”

All I could say was that it was complicated.

“Damn.”

I thought of a cigarette, even though I’d never smoked one before.

In the dimly lit mansion.

“Snore.”

Olivia, waiting for Ricardo, was leaning against the window, picking her nose.

“There’s no chocolate.”

Olivia was craving chocolate.

End of Chapter