The Villainess Whom I Had Served for 13 Years Has Fallen

TLed by NolepGuy

Chapter 230

Late evening.

After enjoying the dinner prepared by the special chef, Malik, whom we had a hard time inviting, I went up to the third floor of the estate, where the bathhouse was located.

My stomach was full.

We had talked to our heart’s content.

Perhaps because the tea party had been more successful than I had anticipated, I felt an intense desire to take a bath.

With the swelling anticipation that soaking in hot water would melt away my fatigue like slime, I naturally moved my steps slowly toward the door covered with a red cloth.

“Young Lady.”

“Mhm.”

“Did you enjoy your dinner?”

Sitting in Fairy Unit 1, the Young Lady spread her fingers and gave a serious evaluation.

“Nine out of ten.”

“Why nine? Where did the one point go?”

“That one point is Ricardo. I like the meals Ricardo makes the most.”

“A perfect score of one hundred out of one hundred.”

I ruffled the Young Lady’s hair as I pushed her wheelchair. As expected, she was a clever villainess, perhaps because she was so beautiful.

“Then shall we go for a bath now?”

“Hehe, sounds good.”

“Today, I will give you an aura massage.”

“Hooo…! Useful!”

“That’s exactly why I learned aura.”

With a pleasant smile, I opened the door to the bathhouse.

And then.

-Thud.

At the audacious hand that dared to block the path of a Sword Master, I turned my gaze and smiled faintly.

“What is it, Malik?”

“Do you really not know?”

“I do not.”

“You really shouldn’t not know.”

At Malik’s cryptic question, I replied in a tone that genuinely conveyed my ignorance. Because I truly didn’t know.

“Is there some kind of problem?”

“…”

Malik pointed to the door with the blue cloth next to the red one with his finger. Like the King of the Underworld solemnly informing me that my destination was hell, not heaven, Malik wore a serious expression.

“I understand your feelings, Ricardo.”

“…”

“As a man, I can understand.”

Malik spoke with a serious expression.

“But I cannot allow it.”

I nodded at Malik’s profound response and placed a hand on my chest, earnestly asking for a chance to plead my case.

“I have been waiting for this moment.”

“Ricardo. I understand your feelings, but no means no.”

“Why…?”

Malik, gripping my shoulders, let out a deep sigh and said. That place is not where you should go.

“Isn’t that the women’s bath?”

“…”

“You are a man, Ricardo.”

With a bitter smile, I brushed off Malik’s hand resting on my shoulder. No matter how much of a benefactor he was as my boss, there were boundaries that shouldn’t be crossed.

Claiming that a possessor entering the women’s bath confidently was not for peeping but simply because it was a bathhouse I had built with my own money, I gritted my teeth and presented a valid reason to Malik.

“I am the Young Lady’s butler. I must attend to her. This is the duty and destiny of a butler. Don’t other nobles also have attendants for their baths?”

“Histania doesn’t do that.”

“Then make it a custom. You have plenty of money.”

“No.”

“Ah… Why are you doing this!”

-Shake shake.

Malik, not backing down easily.

I thought it was natural, but I hadn’t expected to encounter such a variable here. As someone with over ten years of experience as a butler, I thought there would be no question about attending to the Young Lady during a bath… or, well, mixed bathing. But faced with Malik’s stubbornness, which was even more Confucian than the Confucian culture itself, I bit my nails and quickly racked my brain.

‘Think, Ricardo.’

‘Isn’t it a waste to give up after all the time you’ve prepared for this? Just put on an iron plate. Yes, I have nothing to be ashamed of. If I push forward confidently, surely…’

Just as I was deep in thought and about to surrender myself to my desires.

-Thud.

“…?”

The appearance of a woman, who snatched away my excuses as she gripped the handle of the wheelchair, left me speechless.

“Duchess.”

Rosanna smiled faintly and spoke to the Young Lady.

“Shall we take a bath together for the first time in a while?”

“Mother?”

“I said, Mother.”

“Ack…!”

“I’ll wash you myself, just like old times.”

The Young Lady chuckled and dashed into the women’s bath. With a sharp eye smile that seemed to say, ‘Not yet,’ the Duchess left me bowing my head in resignation to my fate.

“…”

-Thud.

Malik patted my shoulder, offering words of consolation. Saying that today wasn’t the only chance, he gave the best comfort a man could offer. With slumped shoulders, I trudged toward the men’s bath marked with the blue cloth.

“Haa…”

My wistful gaze lingered on the women’s bath.

Yuria, carrying a bath basket inside.

“Then…! See you in a bit!”

Hanna, looking at me with a regretful smile.

“Butler…! Should I follow you instead?”

“No.”

And even Chartia, who, saying she had never seen such a tea party before, entered the bath like a zombie with a tired face.

“…”

They all drifted away in my heart.

-Grr.

“Hm?”

I spoke as I saw Gomtangi ambling along.

“Why are you going in there?”

-Goom.

Ah.

Gomtangi was female too.

With a bitter smile, I turned my steps toward the men’s bath. Resolving to build an outdoor hot spring next time, I walked away with heavy steps.

*

-Srrk.

The white skin hidden beneath their clothes began to reveal itself, exuding a faint floral scent.

Yuria.

-Ah… This is embarrassing.

Hanna.

-Have I lost more weight?

Olivia.

-Eeeek!! It won’t come off!

The ladies, with smooth skin, awkwardly smiled as they placed their clothes into the basket.

Yuria, covering her body with a towel, entered the bath with an awkward smile, and Chartia, also wrapped in a towel, was walking modestly toward the bathhouse.

And then.

“Hooray.”

“Eeeek!!!”

With Rosanna’s help, Olivia struggled to remove her clothes as they got caught on her face, making it difficult to take them off.

“Eeeek! Ricardo!”

The bathhouse of the estate, where the Empire’s renowned beauties had gathered, was filled with the scent of spring.

*

At that moment.

The men’s locker room.

Darbav, undressing, struck a confident pose with a smile. Despite being middle-aged, he had the body of a young man.

“This is a view I’ve never seen before. It’s sophisticated, yet it subtly feels like the East.”

Satisfied with the bathhouse’s rare interior design, Darbav wore a pleased smile.

“Did they take inspiration from Eastern bathhouses?”

In response to Darbav’s question, I, while removing my top, gave a small smile and answered.

“Yes, I referenced books to design a blend of Eastern and Western styles.”

“I see. I like it.”

Nodding in approval, Darbav wrapped a towel around his waist.

“Shall we go?”

Following Darbav’s confident strides, Kyle began to trail behind him.

Despite being a wizard, Kyle, with his well-built physique, wore a satisfied smile as he wrapped a towel around his waist.

And seeing his father’s confident demeanor, Kyle let out a small chuckle and spoke in a haughty voice toward Darbav.

“I win, Father.”

“I don’t know whether to laugh or cry at this.”

Thinking there was no need to worry about Desmond’s lineage, Darbav let out a bitter smile and nodded.

And then.

-Step. Step.

Kyle, noticing Malik’s impressive muscles as he walked behind him, fell silent. Glancing at Malik, who had a towel wrapped around his waist, Kyle lowered his head and muttered, “…Damn it,” as he walked into the bathhouse.

Victorious in confidence, Malik, with a proud smile, spoke to me as I finished undressing.

“Let’s head in now.”

Smiling faintly at the childish rivalry among the three, I nodded.

‘They’re not kids, for goodness’ sake.’

And then.

“””…”””

All three fell silent.

*

At that moment, in the women’s bath.

“…”

“…”

“…”

Every lady was holding back her words as they stared at one particular woman.

“Hehe. Floating lightly.”

A woman playing with her enormous “mountain peaks.” Watching this, Hanna clenched her fist and swallowed her tears.

‘…I’m not small either.’

Even so, Hanna resented the world.

Yuria resented the Northern chill.

Rosanna wore a pleasant smile.

“Olivia.”

“Yes?”

“Don’t play with your chest.”

“Hehe…”

Chuckling softly at her daughter’s antics, Rosanna playfully tossed a floating duck doll at Olivia, who was drifting in the bath.

“This is nice too.”

Exhausted by the nobles’ constant rivalries, Rosanna, basking in the rare peace, gave a languid smile and looked at Yuria.

“Miss Yuria.”

“Yes…!”

“How was your day? Were you uncomfortable at all?”

At Rosanna’s considerate question, Yuria gave an awkward smile and nodded.

“It was fun.”

“That’s a relief.”

Though Rosanna had much to say, she decided to save it for another time. She didn’t want to disturb this tranquility, so she buried her heavy thoughts deep in her heart and surrendered herself to the warmth of the bath.

And then.

-Ricardo! Don’t cling to the wall!

-Let go of me!

Smiling softly at the commotion coming from the other side, she nodded.

‘Honestly.’

They were truly incorrigible.

Rosanna liked him.

And she was grateful to Ricardo for staying by her side until the end.

Though she didn’t know when, Rosanna hoped her oblivious daughter would eventually understand, and with that hope, she smiled.

*

And at that moment.

Chartia, hiding in a corner of the bathhouse, cautiously spoke as she looked at Gomtangi soaking in the water.

“Hand.”

-Growl.

“Adorable…”

For the first time, Chartia found herself enjoying a tea party.