The Villainess Whom I Had Served for 13 Years Has Fallen

With a horrifying jolt of pain, Jung tore his hand away from Ricardo’s head. The agony was intense, as if his own mind was burning away.

“Arrrgh…!”

For Jung, this was a first. He stared at Ricardo with an expression of utter disbelief.

I his effort to read its memories.

Typically, such attempts either failed outright or passed without causing any damage. But this boy was entirely different.

Moreover,

The boy wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth with a sinister smile.

“It worked.”

In ed at him without hesitation.

Due to the pain, Jung was left exposed, and it was dangerous to try to defend against the boy’s attack in this state.

’s neck. Jung scrambled to dodge the sharp blade that came at him with deadly intent.

“I can’t let you get away with this.”

Though Jung pushed the boy back using his dark magic, the boy’s determination was stronger than he had expected.

With a sickening ‘slice,’ Jung’s flesh was torn, and his vision in one eye went dark. He realized that the situation was rapidly spiraling out of control.

The boy brushed the blood off the sword with a faint smile.

“That’s one down.”

Jung had lost one of his eyes.

All because of a moment of carelessness, he had given the boy hope.

The boy smiled. Now armed, the boy radiated a much more dangerous aura than before.

He was like a predator, eyeing Jung with the lethal gaze of something ready to sink its fangs into his neck at the first opportunity.

“Didn’t expect that to work, but it did.”

“…”

“Damn… Looks like I’m at my limit.”

The boy muttered softly, glancing at one spot.

He looked over at the place where Michail was lying. As Michail slowly began to regain his senses, the boy shouted loudly.

“Run!”

“Huh…?”

“Run!”

“No, I can fight too—!”

“Stop being stubborn and run!”

Once again, the boy kicked off the ground and charged. That’s when Jung figured it out. He realized what the brat was trying to do.

Certain now that the boy intended to thwart his plans, Jung gritted his teeth and forced himself to overcome the searing pain.

He couldn’t let him go.

Now that he had chosen the main course for his twisted game, he simply couldn’t let him escape. So Jung did what he needed to do.

-SLAM.

Wi to charge again.

The spell had definitely hit.

With that kind of impact, he shouldn’t have even been able to stand, and yet… Jung let out a small laugh and gripped his dagger tightly.

“Ha… What an audacious brat.”

He had given the kid too many openings. He had wasted too much time because he was curious about what the boy would do.

At the speed the boy was coming at him, there was no way to block him. He was far too fast, and no matter where Jung wounded him, the boy seemed determined to do whatever it took to slay him. Jung finished his thoughts with a cruel smile.

‘Fine, then I’ll throw out the bait.’

Jung tossed the dagger.

But not at the boy—at Michail.

If this boy had drawn his sword to protect someone, then he would get the outcome Jung was expecting.

Jung felt confident as he began to paint the next scene in his mind.

Soon, he heard the sound of something being sliced, and Jung allowed himself a small smile as he lifted his head.

“You fell for it?”

The boy had taken the bait that Jung had thrown out.

“Damn it.”

“I knew you’d fall for it.”

“Did you have to take your eyes off someone else?”

Seeing blood drip to the ground, Michail let out a foolish cry.

“…Oh.”

The boy was standing in front of him.

Despite his small, fragile frame, the only thing notable about the boy was his height. He smiled at Michail as he looked down at him.

“Are you okay?”

“A… Ah…”

“I’m not okay.”

“No… This can’t be happening.”

With a thud, the boy collapsed weakly before Michail. He didn’t have the strength to get up.

All of his previous attacks had drained him of the full extent of his strength, and now his body refused to move.

It had been the final attack, utilizing every last ounce of his power, even as the penalties for using Limit Break began to catch up with him.

Wi let out a small chuckle at the sight.

“It’s a shame. You almost had me.”

“Damn it.”

“But what can you do? You’re too soft-hearted, and that’s your downfall.”

Michail picked up a rock and started to rush at Jung.

“Stop it!”

Jung burst out laughing at Michail’s feeble resistance and kicked him hard in the stomach.

It was hilarious.

A boy sacrificing himself to protect another.

Another who couldn’t do anything yet still defied him. Everything about it was fantastic and exhilarating.

Jung pulled the dagger from the boy’s back.

He knew that with all the blood leaking from the boy, death was inevitable, but that wasn’t Jung’s concern.

The main target wasn’t this boy after all.

Jung tossed the dagger at Michail’s feet.

“Go on.”

“…?”

“I’ll let one of you live.”

Jung was enjoying this moment.

The onset of despair was something he relished. Even though things hadn’t gone exactly as planned, the taste of the moment was so delicious that he didn’t bother with the small details.

“Why are you hesitating?”

“…I’ll kill you!”

“Me, you say?”

Jung emanated a dreadful killing intent at Michail. He wasn’t so cold-hearted that he hadn’t considered giving the boy a little nudge to act.

Af boy rise to his feet while Michail eyed him with conflicted emotions.

Fixing his gaze on Michail, Jung spoke.

“You want to live, don’t you?”

“…”

“Isn’t that right?”

Then, Jung addressed Michail.

“You want to live too, right? If you stab him, you’ll survive. Honestly!”

Knowing how desperate people can get, Jung waited.

-Clatter…

And the boy, Michail, began to respond to Jung’s expectations.

The other boy looked at Michail with trembling eyes before lowering his head. Seeing the feeling of betrayal cross the boy’s face filled Jung with delight, and he clenched his fist.

‘Yes…!’

This was what he wanted.

He wanted someone to be discarded for the sake of survival.

Jung wanted to see the betrayal of a boy who had been treated as a savior in the doll’s memories. He savored the anticipation for his meal and let out a pleased sigh.

“I’m a man of my word.”

He longed to feel an even greater pleasure.

*

Michail lowered his head, unable to stop his shoulders from trembling.

I watched Michail and thought that it was understandable.

I didn’t blame him. Honestly, when the dagger dropped in front of us, I had similar thoughts. In the novel, Jung was the type of person who kept his promises.

Unlike other villains, that guy was true to his word. Even though there were often tricky conditions attached, I knew that if I stabbed Michail with this dagger, I would be spared.

But how could I do that? I had talked so big before.

I gave Michail a faint smile as I looked at him.

“I’m sorry…”

Michail murmured through clenched teeth as he held the dagger.

Seeing Michail ss.

“My mom promised she’d come for me…”

“Yeah.”

“So…”

Michail turned around.

“Tell her you met me and that I’m doing okay.”

And then he turned his dagger towards Jung. With a face that looked ready to burst into tears, Michail held the dagger up to Jung with a trembling voice.

“You protected me every day…!”

“…”

“You got hurt in my place every day!”

Michail’s voice was trembling, ready to break.

“So this time, I’ll protect you!”

Just like a hero in a novel.

I let out a small chuckle and shook my head.

“You think so.”

And then,

I took Michail’s dagger and stabbed it into my own stomach. Jung’s scream filled the air. A scream telling me not to ruin his precious meal.

I ignored Jung’s wails and threw my arms around Michail’s neck, pulling him close.

“Then you’d better tell her yourself. Don’t make things complicated.”

I patted the bewildered Michail on the back.

“It’s okay.”

“…Huh?”

“Nothing happened.”

“…”

“Just think of me as someone who never existed.”

(!) Michail’s mental state is unstable.

“So just forget.”

And with that, I left Michail’s side.

*

I don’t remember what happened afterward.

Jung’s furious kicks landed on me.

Michail ran off as I told him to, while I clung to Jung’s leg, desperately buying time.

And then,

The ordeal went on.

Jung’s enraged voice made me tremble as he debated what to do with the abandoned child. He even entertained the idea of brainwashing me and selling me off as a heretic, and that terrified me more than anything.

But with all the blood I had lost, I knew I didn’t have much time left, so it didn’t scare me as much.

I was just going to die anyway.

As I gradually lost the will to live, I desperately swore at Jung, hoping he’d finish me off.

That’s when a forgotten promise floated into my mind.

-Play with me today.

-No.

-I’ll buy you something tasty.

-No.

It was a promise I had made with the villainess.

I regretted not being able to keep it. I imagined the food she’d buy would have been delicious.

Not like she’d bother looking for me, though.

What a lonely life.

Both my past and my previous life.

A life where no one would come looking for me.

Just as I felt sleep drawing me in, a familiar voice rang in my ears.

-Damn it.

The familiar voice of the villainess.

-Do you want to die?

She was speaking with a terrifying killing intent. And then the villainess said,

-Kill him.

She spoke with an icy voice.

And so I…

-Just become my servant.

…

-Stop screwing around.

-You’re being ridiculous.

Became the villainess’s servant.

End of Chapter.