The Villainess Whom I Had Served for 13 Years Has Fallen

Chapter 291

The Young Lady grabbed her collar and exhaled sharply.

"Take it off!"

Take it off? Does she even know what that means? Hearing such a thing from a High Noble, I let out a hollow laugh and asked the Young Lady.

"Are you harassing me right now?"

"No!"

"Would it be okay if I reported this to the Butler Human Rights Committee?"

"That doesn't exist."

"I'll establish one starting today."

"Eek! Just take it off anyway!"

The Young Lady's eyes were filled with determination. It was as if she was ready to crawl on the ground and strip me herself if I didn’t comply immediately.

'This is scary.'

"..."

"What!"

"No, let’s think about this rationally. I’m a man, and you’re…"

"A noble."

"...?"

"I’m fine with it. I can understand with a broad mind."

"But I’m not fine with it."

"I’m fine."

Faced with the Young Lady’s unreasonable persistence, which repeatedly put me in difficult situations, I let out a deep sigh and wondered if I really had to take it off.

Knowing her personality, she wouldn’t give up until I did. And running away wasn’t an option either.

'This isn’t easy….'

I appreciated her concern, but there were still many things that made me hesitant because we were of opposite genders. Especially if the Young Lady saw my sculpted body—there was a chance she might fall for me.

"Sniff."

Seeing her pick her nose, that didn’t seem likely.

Feeling embarrassed by my delusions, I tilted my head once and then walked toward the entrance of the cave where the rain was pouring down. Grabbing my soaked shirt lightly, I looked back at the Young Lady.

"Are you sure you want me to take it off?"

"Take it off!"

"Really, really! I’m taking it off."

"Eek! Take it off already! Who’s going to take responsibility if you catch a cold?"

"Well, you do have a point…"

While glancing at the Young Lady, who was snorting impatiently, I began unbuttoning my shirt one button at a time. As my pale skin was gradually revealed, the Young Lady reacted with an exaggerated "Hooong."

"Seriously, you’re not allowed to say anything about this."

"Okay. I’m not interested anyway, so it’s fine."

"That’s kind of hurtful, though."

"I’m fine."

"..."

Having unbuttoned everything, I paused to think about what to do next.

Stripping completely felt too embarrassing.

But covering myself with the removed shirt would seem unmanly. Especially because…

I had scars.

"..."

Through the gaps in the unbuttoned shirt, the scars left by the lingering effects of Dark Magic were still visible on my body.

The blackened marks had faded, but the scars from torn flesh hadn’t said their goodbyes yet.

I was afraid the Young Lady might dislike them. After all, I wasn’t a barbarian, yet my body was covered in scars. Showing them or pretending to ignore them nonchalantly both weighed on my mind.

These scars, like tree bark.

After hesitating for a long time, I finally let out a deep sigh and carefully took off my shirt.

"I’m taking it off."

"Okay."

"It’d be troublesome if you fell for my body."

"Eek…"

"If you dislike it that much, it hurts my feelings."

"Eek!"

"Fine."

The Young Lady let out a small gasp of admiration at the silhouette of my body visible in the dim cave.

"Hooong! Ricardo…"

"Yes."

"Your body is amazing."

"Right?"

"It’s like a sculpture. It’s like a demon lives on your back."

"Pfft, what is that supposed to mean?"

"I’m serious…! It’s all rugged and so big…"

The tension I had been feeling melted away at the Young Lady’s words. I even let out a hollow laugh, realizing I had been overly nervous.

I wrung out my rain-soaked shirt outside the cave and carefully returned to sit across from the Young Lady.

"Sniff…"

I forced an awkward smile.

"…Still, taking it off does feel refreshing."

"..."

"Young Lady…?"

"Hiccup…!"

"Young… Lady?"

"Hic…cup…!"

Sitting by the bonfire’s light, the Young Lady had her head bowed. She suddenly started hiccupping and trembling her shoulders.

"Sniff."

She was letting out a silence that was hard to bear alone.

Flustered, I fumbled with my hands, unsure of what to do. This was my first time experiencing something like this. Just moments ago, she had been joking about "amazing muscles" and "falling for me," but now her expression had completely changed.

Even for someone as unpredictable as the Young Lady, her sudden tears left me at a loss.

Watching her eyes grow moist, I flailed my hands about, not knowing where to place them.

"Why… are you like this?"

"Sniff…"

"Are you hungry?"

The Young Lady shook her head and wiped her tears with her sleeve as she spoke.

"N-no… Ricardo, your body…"

"Ah."

"It still looks like it hurts…"

The scars.

Looking at the scars illuminated by the bonfire, I awkwardly covered them with my hand. It seemed my prediction had been correct.

They were grotesque.

Unsightly scars.

When the Young Lady first learned the secret behind the scars, she had told me it was okay. But I had always suspected that seeing the scars in person would elicit this kind of reaction. I wasn’t particularly hurt by it.

After all, such hideous scars weren’t something the Young Lady should have to see.

"They’re a bit strange, aren’t they…?"

"..."

"I’ll cover them quickly."

Hastily, I grabbed my wet shirt. The soaked shirt seemed to protest against being worn, but this wasn’t the time to be picky. Shaking off the water, I slid my arms into the sleeves.

As the damp sleeve clung to my wrist—

"N-no…!"

The Young Lady shook her head and grabbed the wet shirt. Bowing her head as if to hide her tearful face, she clung tightly to the shirt and said,

"Don’t wear it…"

"Young Lady."

"Hic..."

The Young Lady spoke to me with a voice soaked in tears.

"Don’t wear it…"

"But still, isn’t this a bit much?"

"What is?"

"Well, that is..."

"Be quiet. Ricardo, you’re cold..."

"Even so... isn’t it unsightly?"

The Young Lady shook her head. Then, she carefully said the words I most wanted to hear.

"It’s not unsightly."

"Pardon?"

"Not at all... sniff... it’s not unsightly."

For a moment, I was at a loss for words at her statement. Even if it was just flattery, it was nice to hear.

"I’m not okay with this. I only want to show you pretty things, but honestly, I’m embarrassed by these scars."

"There’s nothing to be embarrassed about!"

-Grr?

At the sudden shout from the Young Lady, Gomtangi, who had been lying down, lifted her head, sighed deeply, and lay back down.

Ignoring Gomtangi, the Young Lady continued speaking.

"Even if Ricardo says he’s embarrassed, in my eyes, he’s not..."

"..."

"He’s so manly, as beautiful as a flower, and also... also..."

Watching the Young Lady fold her fingers one by one as she thought of compliments, her innocent demeanor made me smile. In a low voice, I asked,

"Then why are you crying?"

"That’s...!"

The Young Lady clenched her fists and said,

"Because you got hurt because of me..."

"That’s not true. I was just too reckless with my body..."

"Don’t lie!!"

"..."

"You promised not to lie! I already know everything now...! Don’t hide it from me..."

A heavy drop of water, carrying the moisture of her tears, fell onto the ground illuminated by the bonfire.

"I... I... like Ricardo no matter how he looks..."

"..."

"I’m not embarrassed, I’m proud, and I want to brag about you to others."

"You’d never say I’m handsome, even if it killed you."

"Ugh! Stop joking around!"

"Pfft...! I just feel good hearing such things, that’s all."

A smile crept onto my face.

I couldn’t hide the smile that bloomed at her clumsy complaints. I had worried—what if she disliked it? What if she frowned in disgust at the sight of me?

"Sniff...! Hic...!"

But seeing the smile on her face melted away those worries. Even if her words were lies.

Carefully, I asked her again, driven by the desire to hear it one more time.

"Is it true?"

-...Nod.

"Do you really think I’m someone you’re proud of and want to boast about?"

-...Sniff. Nod, nod.

"And you think I’m handsome too?"

-Shake, shake.

"That’s not it."

"Pfft...!"

Still, hearing the Young Lady, who couldn’t lie, I let out a small laugh and carefully expressed my gratitude in return.

"I feel the same way."

"Huh?"

"I’m proud of you too, and I want to boast about you to others."

"That’s just how I am."

"..."

Under the light of the bonfire, I cautiously reached out and held the Young Lady’s ankle, which had been resting limply.

At the touch of my hand on her ankle, her shoulders trembled. She flinched, trying to hide her legs under the blanket.

"Don’t touch me..."

Ignoring her protest, I gently stroked her rough instep and said,

"You know, Young Lady."

"..."

"Just like how you told me, to me, you’re also a beautiful and radiant existence."

"...No. My legs are ugly and unsightly."

"Who says so? Ruin? The Academy students?"

-Shake, shake.

"No one said that."

"See?"

"But they’re still ugly."

The Young Lady grabbed my wrist, trying to push away the hand resting on her instep, but I was determined to be stubborn this time. I didn’t let go and continued to stroke her foot.

"To me, you are the most beautiful existence in the world."

"Liar."

"Even if you took a potion that made you look like Gomtangi..."

-Grr?

"Even if your face became unrecognizable to your family."

"..."

"To me, you would still be beautiful and more beautiful."

With a small smile, I gently patted her head.

"In my eyes,"

-Gulp.

"You’re beautiful."

With a bright smile, I looked at her and smiled again.

"Very much so."

With tearful eyes, the Young Lady smiled and nodded.

"Mm...!"

And then.

-Grr.

Gomtangi bit the Young Lady’s head.

"Ugh!!! Why are you biting me?!"

-Grr...!

"Ugh!!! Ricardo! I’m going to turn this into clothes!"

Laughter spilled out.

Simply because, in this moment, I was happy.