The Villainess Whom I Had Served for 13 Years Has Fallen - Chapter 76

Chapter 76 – The Butler’s Inadequate Birthday Gift (4)

Darkness had fallen in Olivia’s room.

Having dined out at the Forest Friends for the first time in a while, Olivia patted her full stomach and looked towards the door.

“Phew… I’m stuffed.”

Wearing a party hat and a pleasant smile, Olivia felt as though the world was shining from her full belly. She was waiting for the last event of her birthday, the gift-giving ceremony.

“Hmm…”

Olivia didn’t have high expectations for the gift.

Knowing all too well the state of their strained finances, she guessed that the only gifts Ricardo could afford on his own were likely to be a scarf or gloves.

Yet, Olivia was more than satisfied with how the day had unfolded.

She had eaten at Forest Friends, and Ricardo had bought her everything she wanted.

Rather than receiving expensive gifts, she had resolved not to linger on or expect them, having spent a day indulging in all the food she desired.

Olivia was ready to be happy with even a small gift.

“Why isn’t he coming…”

The butler, who had gone to fetch the gift, hadn’t returned even after 10 minutes.

‘You’re going to be so surprised, just wait.’

The butler had gone downstairs with those meaningful words. She didn’t want to get her hopes up, but her heart couldn’t help but flutter.

After all, Ricardo was the only one left to celebrate her birthday.

As her fortune waned, her friends who used to lavish her with expensive gifts had left her side, and the nobles who had once fawned over her for the prestige of her house stopped sending even a single letter as soon as the connection was severed.

She no longer had any family left, and no friends either. Ricardo was the only one who cared to celebrate her birthday.

Ricardo, who always celebrated her birthday.

On every birthday morning, Ricardo, who would greet her with a “Happy Birthday” along with a gift he had wrapped himself, remained by her side as time passed.

‘I treated him so badly…’

Ricardo had consistently remembered her birthday.

He had remembered the birthday of the wicked lady who had unceremoniously stuffed his hand-knitted scarves, unwrapped, into the back of her wardrobe.

Despite her harsh rejection of the scarf he had made, Ricardo hadn’t been saddened; instead, he reappeared the following year with another present.

-Happy Birthday.
-It’s cheap.
-I spent a bit more this time.
-What money…
-Then, maybe you should raise my salary.
-Eek…!

She knew her past self too well.

How sincere Ricardo had been about her birthdays.

Despite earning a salary, he had given her expensive gifts like gold bracelets.

Jewel-encrusted hairpins.
Handmade scarves.
Rings made of pure gold.

Ricardo, who gave her gifts that were beyond her means.

He’d spent a month’s salary, no, three months’ salary on gifts, yet she had never worn them.

They were too embarrassing to show others.

It was shameful for a noble like Desmond to wear them, and they weren’t flashy enough. Olivia had always shoved Ricardo’s gifts into the back of her closet.

‘Foolishly.’

Perhaps it was the sixth year that Ricardo had remembered her birthday; his gifts began to change.

Instead of more expensive or lavish jewelry, they transitioned to things like perfume and sweets—gifts that weren’t visible to others. She must have broken his heart by never wearing any of the previous gifts, even though she never said they were embarrassing.

Olivia knew that her past self was at fault.

Although she couldn’t say she was good-natured even now, she recognized that she had been much harsher when she proudly bore the name of Desmond, and Ricardo knew this too.

She had grown up coddled in a greenhouse, with people around her always affirming her rather than offering criticism.

Her personality had become twisted.

It wasn’t that those people were bad.

It’s just… it left a bit of regret. If there had been even one person like Ricardo to offer her harsh truths, she wouldn’t have been so cruel to him.

“…Bad girl.”

Olivia allowed herself a time of reflection, a bittersweet smile on her face as she thought about her past mistakes.

Resolved not to discard things carelessly anymore.

If she was given chocolates, she would eat them with joy, but if she received a lasting gift, she was determined to keep it.

-Thump… Thump… Thump!

The sound of Ricardo climbing the stairs traveled through the door.

The noisy footsteps, as if carrying something heavy, were followed by a ‘thump’ noise as Ricardo placed something down in front of the door.

He went up and down the stairs without stopping, ‘hustling’ with busy footsteps as he climbed again.

“What is he doing…?”

The bustling sound of Ricardo’s footsteps made Olivia tilt her head in curiosity and clutch the hem of her skirt tightly.

‘How can I not expect something?’ she thought with a shy smile as she bowed her head.

Olivia couldn’t help but let out giggles.

-Phew… That’s it.

Ricardo’s murmuring voice came from beyond the door, indicating he had finished preparing.

Knock. Knock. Knock. Ricardo opened the door.

“Milady, I’m coming in.”

As the door creaked open.

“Pffft…! What on earth…!”

Ricardo’s face, with the same makeup he had donned that morning, came into her view.

Olivia clutched her stomach, laughing.

Dressed in a baggy red outfit.
The ridiculous white beard and a red ball stuck on Gomtang’s nose made Ricardo look so funny.

“Ahahaha…ha… Pffft…! What is that!”

Olivia pointed at Ricardo, smiling with joy.

“Oh… Santa Claus.”

Ricardo said to himself in a solemn voice.

Santa Claus.

Olivia didn’t quite know what a Santa was, but she imagined it to be a very funny being.

With a sigh, Ricardo put down the red sack he was carrying on his back and said,

“Ho ho ho Merry… no, Happy Birthday.”

Ricardo, in his silly attire, was congratulating her on her birthday. He glanced at Olivia, who was full of anticipation, and gulped.

Olivia, feeling the pressure from her eager gaze, cleared her throat uncomfortably.

“Hem! That is…”

Even Ricardo seemed to find the situation amusing as he struggled to contain his laughter.

Olivia addressed Ricardo, who was awkwardly acting, with frankness.

“Ricardo, you forgot your lines.”
“Don’t laugh. It’s hard to maintain the concept.”

Ricardo was committed to his concept.

Pushing away Gomtang, who was trying to jump up and lick his face, Ricardo opened the sack.

He drew out chocolate shaped like gold coins.

“Oh…!”

He pulled out a scarf to conquer the cold winter.

“Heeek!”

And Ricardo took out a thick fur coat.

With a serious expression, Ricardo began to speak to Olivia.

“Miss Olivia.”
“What?”
“You should use formal speech with Santa Claus.”

Olivia looked at Ricardo with deliberate innocence.

“No.”
“…Then, there’s nothing I can do.”

Ricardo found it hard to maintain his concept.

He looked at the gifts he had put on the floor. Ricardo began a year-end summary, recounting what wrongs she had done and the disappointments of the year.

“Do you remember stealing the chocolates in March?”

It was a silly jest.
Olivia played along with Ricardo’s rhythm and nodded.

“Yes. I stole one piece.”
“That’s a lie. You stole three pieces. I’m confiscating 10% of your gifts.”

As he said ‘confiscation,’ Ricardo put the chocolate gold coins he had dropped on the floor back into the sack.

Olivia argued with Ricardo, who was cutting down her birthday gifts, but his effort to stick to the concept was surprisingly stubborn.

“Hmm… in June, you stole the gold coins on my desk, so 50% confiscation.”
“Eek! That’s violent! Resign!”
“I refuse.”

The gifts were dwindling under Ricardo’s keen memory. All that remained were three chocolate gold coins.

Olivia looked at Ricardo with an annoyed expression.

“You’re mean!”
“It’s the fault of Miss, who lived as a naughty adult.”

Ricardo was doling out moral lessons. He put the remaining three chocolates into the sack and said,

“Overall this year…”
“Gulp…”
“Milady, you cried too much.”
“No..! That’s because Ricardo made me sad…”
“Shush. I won’t listen to excuses.”

Upon seeing Ricardo put all the gifts into the sack, Olivia extended her hand with a dumbfounded expression.

“Give it.”
“I refuse.”
“Give it to me!”
“Our company policy doesn’t give gifts to crying adults…”

As Ricardo returned to his concept, he looked at the outstretched hand and said,

“But.”

Ricardo grabbed her slender wrist with a small smile.

“The butler has another gift prepared for you.”

Holding Olivia’s wrist, Ricardo began rummaging in his pocket with a small smile.

And.

“Huh?”

He began to slip something sparkling onto her wrist. A familiarly designed bracelet began to appear with a cool sensation on her skin.

A bracelet studded with diamonds.

“Ah… what… this…”

Confused, Olivia stuttered like an idiot. She was overwhelmed by the sudden appearance of the bracelet and could not muster the words to ask how or where he got it.

Ricardo, releasing Olivia’s hand, said,

“It suits you very well. Truly.”

Ricardo, removing his white beard and smiling happily, looked at the bracelet now adorning Olivia’s white wrist and said,

“Happy Birthday.”
“This… this is really expensive…”

Tears welled up in Olivia’s eyes as she looked at the bracelet.

Olivia spoke with a choked voice.

Ricardo shook his head nonchalantly, as if it was no big deal, and lightly replied,

“I tried a little harder.”

Ricardo had always gifted her with moving surprises.

Olivia cried out with a sob,

“It’s expensive…!”
“Because it’s expensive, please wear it well.”
“This.. snif… sob…”

Olivia, inhaling her runny nose, said to Ricardo,

“It’s really… expensive…!”
“So you don’t like it?”
“No…! I… this… really… I’ll wear it well…”

Ricardo once again looked at Olivia’s white wrist, now adorned with the bracelet, and said, relieved that it suited her and glad that she liked it,

“I’ll give you a better gift next time.”

“This one is… really amazing!”

Olivia hugged the bracelet and cried.

She thought this birthday would be unforgettable.

***

Ricardo smiled awkwardly as he gazed at a wooden box he had hidden behind the door.

[Pe x ri Unit 1]

‘Let’s give it to her in a little while.’

Ricardo smiled with happiness.