The Villainess Whom I Had Served for 13 Years Has Fallen

To the Original Form (3)

***

Michail had been following Ricardo.

From the moment they left the café until now, Michail had been trailing Ricardo like a stalker.

He couldn’t explain why he was following him, nor could he think of a plausible excuse, so he simply followed him silently, being a nuisance.

Even in the café.

“Then, I’ll be going.”

Even at the shop selling Mandrake candies.

“Why do you keep following me?”

With a towel wrapped around his head, Ricardo walked towards the kitchen and bid farewell.

“I’ll be heading off to work for now.”

“…”

“Please think about why you came to find me until I return.”

With those words, Ricardo disappeared.

“…”

Friends of Forest Tteokbokki Shop.

[We repay your money with flavor.]

Sitting in front of the tteokbokki shop, which boasted an admirable entrepreneurial spirit, Michail wore an awkward expression.

“…”

Michail felt frustrated. The longer he spent with Ricardo, the more exhausted he became.

‘I just want to finish this quest quickly…’

Blaming his lack of conversational skills, Michail looked down at his rough hands.

“…”

“You’re beautiful.”

‘Beautiful…?’

Ricardo’s words, calling his rugged self beautiful, kept echoing in Michail’s ears.

He knew it was a joke, knew it was just an empty compliment without sincerity, but it was the first time anyone had called him ‘beautiful,’ and Michail couldn’t easily shake off the thought.

‘No.’

What was so great about being called beautiful by Ricardo?

Michail shook his head, trying to focus on the task at hand. He steeled himself, determined not to waver and to complete the quest.

1. Show Ricardo your true form. (1/1)

2. Go on a date with Ricardo. (0/1)

3. Hear Ricardo’s true feelings. (0/1)

Michail took a deep breath and lifted his head. Just two steps away, he could face the truth he sought.

“Three sets of tteokbokki for the Vice President.”

“Am I the Vice President?”

“Yes, the owner said to call you that.”

“Oh…”

Ricardo was moving busily.

He was moving busily in a place where he had shed his role as a student.

And then.

“Uh, Vice President, you need to come over here.”

“What’s going on?”

“There’s someone who ate without paying.”

Noise began to rise from one corner of the shop.

Michail looked towards the source of the disturbance. A boy and girl, who appeared to be about five years old, were rubbing their eyes, crying.

The boy, who seemed to be the older brother, was holding out some dirty coins with his grubby hands, while the girl hid behind her brother’s back, sobbing.

It was a familiar sight.

As Michail overlapped the children with memories of his past, his expression hardened, and he swallowed as he watched Ricardo approach the children.

Surely.

-Thud, thud.

The Ricardo he knew would have driven the kids away. Michail held his breath, waiting for Ricardo’s cruelty to unfold.

Since Michail had no money to help them, he bit his lip tightly.

‘I’m sorry.’

Ricardo, who had untied the towel from his head, crouched down in front of the children and smiled, showing a side of himself Michail hadn’t expected.

“Hey, little one.”

“I’m

“What are you sorry for?”

“…For coming to eat when we don’t have money.”

“Who says you don’t have money?”

Ricardo took the coins the boy held out and patted his head.

“This is more than enough.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. When I was your age, I used to eat without paying too.”

“…That’s a bad thing.”

“I know. That’s why I did it.”

Ricardo was chatting with the children. In a gentle voice, barely audible, he was having a kind conversation that brought a smile to the children’s faces.

The Ricardo Michail knew would never have done that. For a moment, Michail was so taken aback that he wondered if this man was really Ricardo.

‘He’s lying.’

As Ricardo approached him after dealing with the children, Michail thought to himself. That smile was full of lies.

-Squeeze.

Michail disliked Ricardo.

Because he tormented people with a smiling face and enjoyed it, Michail couldn’t trust Ricardo’s smile.

However.

Watching the children smile, Michail felt something was off. It was as if something fundamental had gone wrong.

“Thank you for waiting.”

“…”

“This is the capital’s most famous tteokbokki.”

Ricardo approached with a steaming plate of red food. It was the same spicy dish Michail had eaten before with Ruin and Yuria.

“…”

Because it was food Ricardo had made, Michail was even more reluctant to eat it.

“Do you like children?”

“Children?”

“Yes.”

“No, I don’t like them.”

“Then why did you help them?”

“Ah…”

“Just because.”

Strangely, the food Ricardo made looked appetizing.

Ricardo smiled as he looked at the woman in front of him.

She was a stranger, yet somehow familiar.

And she knew him.

Ricardo smiled at the woman, who was full of secrets.

“Doesn’t seem like it’s to your taste.”

“Huh?”

“You’re not eating.”

“Ah…”

The woman lowered her head and stared blankly at the now-cold tteokbokki. She held the fork in her hand but didn’t move, just staring at the food in silence.

Ricardo watched her and voiced his thoughts. He seemed to know why she wasn’t eating.

Either the food tasted bad.

Or she disliked him.

Thinking it had to be one of the two reasons, Ricardo cautiously asked her.

“Is it because I’m too handsome for you to eat?”

“What?”

The woman responded in a rather loud voice. Ricardo couldn’t blame her for her honest reaction, but as a man confident in his looks, he couldn’t help but feel a little hurt.

Ricardo grinned and stabbed a piece of tteokbokki with his fork, offering it to her.

“Ah…”

“Ah?”

“I’ll feed you.”

The woman glared at him as if she were about to hit him.

“I made it less spicy.”

“…”

“I’m the one who made this tteokbokki.”

“So?”

“Isn’t being hungry the worst kind of suffering?”

“You’ve never been hungry.”

Ricardo smiled at her sharp response.

“True.”

He answered naturally, without trying to provoke her.

“But I’ve met a lot of people who have.”

“Liar.”

“I did grow up a bit privileged.”

Ricardo smiled as he once again offered the fork with the tteokbokki to her. As the red sauce dripped, the woman sighed deeply.

“It’s not poisoned.”

The woman reluctantly opened her mouth.

-Chew.

Like a foreigner trying beondegi for the first time, she grimaced and chewed, her shoulders flinching as if she might vomit at any moment.

Ricardo didn’t enjoy tormenting others, but seeing the beautiful woman in front of him struggle made him feel like a criminal.

“Is it too spicy?”

“…No.”

“That’s a relief.”

As she chewed the tteok, the woman’s expression gradually softened. Her face showed a mix of relief at having finished and satisfaction from the taste, emotions that were easy to read.

‘She’s the same as ever.’

That expression of being unable to lie.

That gluttony for delicious food.

It all matched the person he remembered.

Doubt slowly turned into certainty.

Ricardo smiled at her and asked.

“How does it taste?”

“…It’

“Right?”

The woman’s fork began to move slowly.

She ate the fish cake. She ate the tteok. She even ate the egg.

Though Ricardo was the one who bought the food, he found it a bit annoying that she didn’t even offer him a bite. However, watching her eat well put him in a good mood.

As the plate of tteokbokki was nearly empty, Ricardo made a decision. He resolved to address the unfinished business from the past. Even if she wouldn’t tell him why she had come, he needed to understand how to deal with her.

There were still many unresolved matters.

Ricardo’s heart had not yet fully opened to the changes.

He smiled slightly and spoke to her.

“Miss Secret.”

“Huh?”

“I don’t know your name, so I’ll call you Miss Secret.”

“Ah… okay.”

Seeing the woman’s expression harden, Ricardo extended his hand slightly. Like a nobleman asking for a dance at a ball, he politely and firmly asked for her understanding.

“Could you tell me now why you came to find me?”

“…”

“We’ve eaten, and there’s nothing left to do. I don’t want to waste your time, Miss Secret.”

Ricardo nodded towards her as he spoke.

“If there’s something you want to hear, I’ll say it.”

“…”

“If you want to curse at me, I’ll listen.”

“…”

“If you need an apology, I’ll give it. Judging by your expression, you don’t seem to have a favorable opinion of me. Of course, I’m happy to see a beautiful woman, but it doesn’t seem to be the same for you.”

The woman shook her head without responding.

“Is that so…”

Ricardo slowly stood up. Time was precious. He decided to leave, thinking it would be the best choice for both of them.

“Then, I’ll be going.”

“Wait!”

The woman closed her eyes tightly and revealed the reason she had come to find him. Though it seemed hastily put together, it was a reason Ricardo could accept.

“Well…”

“Yes.”

“Actually… I heard about you from Senior Hanna…”

“Ah… from Hanna?”

“Yes…! I asked her how to improve my swordsmanship quickly! So… so…!”

Ricardo fiddled with the handle of the sword at his waist, a playful smile on his face.

“Hanna said that?”

“Yes. Please keep it a secret from Senior Hanna… I came here on my own.”

Watching the woman speak with embarrassment, her face flushed with shame, Ricardo smiled softly.

‘So that’s the reason…’

Ricardo spoke to her.

“You really are full of secrets.”

“…”

“Your name is a secret too.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Hmm.”

Ricardo crossed his arms, lost in thought.

“I have a schedule to keep as well.”

“…”

“I don’t live in the capital, and I’m quite popular because of my good looks.”

“…Jerk.”

“Excuse me?”

“Nothing.”

It was a decent proposal. The idea of training her wasn’t bad. But he wasn’t particularly inclined to do so.

‘Michail will grow on his own anyway.’

Ricardo spoke firmly and turned away.

“I’ll think about it.”

The woman grabbed his sleeve as he was about to leave and spoke in a timid voice.

“Today…!”

“Hmm?”

“Please stay with me today.”

“What…?”

“I’ll convince you.”

So.

“Go on a date with me.”

End of Chapter