The Villainess Whom I Had Served for 13 Years Has Fallen - Chapter 222

Chapter 222 – The Stopped Affection Gauge (1)

A gentle breeze blew.

The light wind brushed past my hair, bringing a refreshing sensation to the tightness in my chest. I was glad I had decided to come outside. I had debated whether it was too late, but the fresh air was definitely helping.

“This is nice….”

After more than a week of hospital life, I was starting to get tired of it. I leaned against the railing, savoring the moment of ease.

Even though it had been comfortable at first, why does it feel so dull now? Is it because hospital food is tasteless?

-It’s bland.

-There’s no helping it. Just eat it anyway.

-It’s so flavorless. Just… tasteless.

While taking a break had its perks, I was definitely starting to feel the limits. True rest, after all, is best done at home, not in a hospital.

I gently closed my eyes, a faint smile touching my lips as I gazed out at the northern snowy mountains. The sight made me nod slightly, realizing that this was where the protagonist had lived.

“It is beautiful.”

The sight of snow lightly blanketing the white mountains was serene, giving me a feeling of spaciousness and calm. Maybe when I earn a lot of money in the future, I could build a vacation home here. It’d be too much to live here permanently, but a small retreat for the occasional visit would be nice.

“What am I even saying?”

I chuckled softly, indulging in a brief daydream. Sometimes letting yourself fantasize can make you aspire for more. Laughing brightly, I ran my fingers through my hair, which had become disheveled.

Because I hadn’t styled my hair, it fluttered even in the small breeze. My hair had grown long enough to cover my eyes. As I brushed it away, I murmured quietly.

“I wonder how Miss Yuria is doing.”

The doctor had told me James had woken up, but I wasn’t sure if he was fully recovered yet. I hadn’t gone to visit him because I was worried that showing him my handsome face without warning might worsen the condition of a patient who needed rest and relaxation.

Of course, the largest reason was Yuria herself.

‘She’d hate it if I went to see her.’

I didn’t want to intrude on a peaceful moment between father and daughter. Besides, I had the feeling that I wouldn’t be well-received, regardless.

It was hard to put into words.

Though I hadn’t heard her say anything particularly harsh, there was this subtle sense that I made her uncomfortable—like she wanted to keep her distance. Ever since I last saw Yuria, I hadn’t been able to gather the courage to face her again.

I’m used to being disliked, but I’m not sure how to react to it. Especially with Yuria… I expected to be disliked by her.

There’s no denying what I did back then, so it would be weird if I went around grinning like nothing happened. Even though we reconciled, I’m not thick-skinned enough to act as if everything’s fine.

And honestly, her affection for me hadn’t improved much, either.

Looking out over the northern snowy mountains, I recalled the affection gauge I had seen a week ago, wearing a bittersweet smile.

[Affection: 13]

“…”

When I thought about Yuria, only regrets came to mind.

There were so many things I could’ve done better.

If I had thought differently, we might have been able to create a happier future for each other.

Like the time I locked her in that closet for three hours.

-Let’s throw this powder in Yuria’s face.

-That sounds fun! Who’s going to do it?

-I don’t know. We can just trick someone into doing it.

And the time when the other kids in class isolated her.

-Hey, tomorrow let’s invite her to eat lunch with us and then ditch her.

-Great idea. Let’s tell her it’s a class outing…

There were definitely better solutions, but because I only thought with my fists, I handled things brutally, fearing Yuria would be hurt if I didn’t act.

There must have been a better way to resolve things.

Because of my rash decisions, Yuria probably ended up getting even more hurt. I regretted it.

But it’s all in the past now.

The cold breeze seemed to tickle my chest soothingly, as if urging me to let go of my regrets and move on.

“Time to go.”

I should head to bed soon.

It’d be awkward if the lady lying in bed downstairs occupied my spot.

I casually packed the snow on the railing into a ball and started walking.

‘I’ll place this snowball on her forehead as a prank.’

Grinning at the thought of my little joke.

Just as I finished crafting a fist-sized snowball, I heard footsteps approaching from the veranda.

‘A patient?’

From the sound, it didn’t seem like the lady. Paying attention to the faint, weary steps, I watched the door open.

“Oh.”

I ran into someone familiar.

Someone I shouldn’t have met under these circumstances. Someone I felt both sorry for and awkward around—the same woman who was so foolishly kind and meddlesome.

It was Yuria, opening the glass door to the veranda with teary eyes, staring at me. I greeted her softly, calling out her name.

“Miss Yuria.”

She was dressed far too lightly again, as if the wind could blow her away at any moment. She hadn’t bothered to put on a coat.

What was she doing out here so late at night? Smiling gently, I spoke to Yuria.

“The wind is cold.”

“…”

“If you dress like this, you’ll catch a cold.”

I removed the cardigan draped over my shoulder, intending to cover Yuria, who stood there in silence.

-Flinch.

‘Is she still upset?’

I hesitated for a moment, awkwardly freezing in place as I reconsidered, but eventually, I placed the cardigan around her shoulders.

No matter how awkward things were between us, I couldn’t let her fall ill. It wouldn’t have felt right for the esteemed heroine to catch a cold just because she didn’t want to deal with a meddlesome “possessor” like me.

“It’s freshly washed, so it shouldn’t smell bad.”

The cardigan was much too large for Yuria—her arms weren’t even visible. Her disheveled appearance almost made me laugh, but seeing the firm expression on her face stopped me. I thought it best to steer the conversation toward something calmer.

I carefully considered a topic that Yuria might like, something she could respond to without feeling burdened.

“Miss Yuria.”

“…”

“I heard the news. Your father has woken up….”

Yuria nodded.

Her head was lowered, so I couldn’t see her expression, but the fact that she nodded at all reassured me.

“You’ve been through a lot.”

“…”

“He’ll recover soon enough, so everything will be okay.”

-Clench.

Even as Yuria remained largely silent, she bit her lip, and the quiet between us dragged on.

“…”

Unable to shake the persistence of the silence, I cautiously glanced at Yuria’s Affection Gauge, hoping for some clear clue to break through the situation.

But instead of finding clarity, things only became more complicated.

Much more complicated.

Looking at Yuria’s status window, I mumbled to myself, “This is a bit troublesome….”

The screen displayed exactly why Yuria’s mood was so bad. Words like ‘Depression,’ ‘Guilt,’ ‘I wish he would just yell at me,’ ‘Fear,’ and ‘I’m sorry’ filled up the ‘Not a Preferred Conversation Topic’ section.

I’d met plenty of depressed people before, but seeing these uneasy feelings written out so clearly for the heroine to have… It didn’t sit well with me at all.

And to top it off,

“…”

I had a feeling that I was the reason for the storm of emotions swirling inside her. Olivia must have told her something.

I stood there, letting the cold northern wind wash over me as I pondered, unsure what to say, realizing that my long-hidden lies had come to light. I didn’t know where to start.

‘…’

I wasn’t interested in playing the hero, and talking like a tragic villain with a complicated backstory didn’t feel right either. In the end, I concluded that the best thing I could do would be to just act as I felt.

-Thud.

Taking a step closer to Yuria, I gently took the buttons of her cardigan in my hands.

“It’s cold.”

Then, carefully kneeling down, I began to button up the cardigan while Yuria stood there, biting her lip.

-Clench…

Her shoulders started trembling, perhaps from sorrow. Yuria bit down on her lip even harder, her shoulders shaking as she took deep, trembling breaths.

Looking at her sorrowful expression, I smiled faintly and spoke softly.

“Are you okay?”

“…”

“You’ve been through a lot, haven’t you?”

At my soft remark of concern, Yuria shook her head, still keeping her face down.

“N-no… Why would I be struggling….”

I asked her again, my voice gentle, as if I were carefully placing my hand on a crumbling wall, knowing it could collapse at any moment.

“No one in this world goes through life without hardship. It’s the same for me, for her, and for you too, Miss Yuria.”

“…”

“It’s just that the weight of hardship is different for each person.”

“Sniff…”

“You’ve been through a lot, haven’t you?”

Yuria’s voice trembled as she replied.

“I… I’m… I’m not allowed to struggle.”

“If I say I’m struggling… it just means I’m a fool… because I’m the one at fault for everything.”

Struggling to get the words out, Yuria shook her head, clutching her chest with her fist.

Perhaps that’s what she really wanted though.

For me to berate her, to lash out and blame her.

But what could I say?

I had no intention of doing that.

“It’s okay.”

Once I finished buttoning up her cardigan, I carefully took a step back. Yuria’s head lifted slightly, her trembling eyes following me as I moved away. Her face—red and swollen from crying so much—looked like a forlorn fish out of water.

‘Pfft.’

I couldn’t help but chuckle slightly. When I smiled, the cracks in Yuria’s expression deepened.

“I’m sorry…”

As if asking me not to leave, her voice hurried out in desperation. I returned her sorrowful gaze with a soft smile and carefully perched myself on the railing.

“Don’t cry.”

Then, I gave the simplest answer I could.

“You’ll ruin your pretty face.”

End of Chapter.