317 – The Way of Love -2-

Morning has arrived.

Sparrows chirp.

It is a morning filled with Olivia’s shouts, worrying about the safety of the Empire.

– Blink!

With the brightening sunlight, Olivia opened her eyes, her lips beginning to twitch. After a quick cough to check her throat, Olivia nodded vigorously.

Top condition.

Throat feeling great.

Determined, Olivia blinked her eyes wide and took a deep breath. Today, she thought, she could truly worry about the safety of the Empire…!

“…Air raid?!”

She tried to scream, but the strange sensation on her leg made Olivia shut her mouth. Something was resting on her leg.

“…What?!”

“Koohhh…”

“Wh-what…?!”

Ricardo.

Ricardo, leaning against the bed and sleeping, had his legs sprawled out. I wondered why I dreamt of having my legs covered in chocolate, but to think there was a hidden agenda here.

Olivia glared at the peacefully sleeping Ricardo.

“,,,”

His soft breathing was so tranquil that she couldn’t bring herself to wake him.

“Hmm…”

It was almost as if he were dead.

Olivia, with a sulky expression, carefully poked Ricardo’s cheek with her finger, where the sunlight fell.

White skin.

Red hair.

Ricardo’s cheek, which seemed to have better skin than her own, despite being a man.

“Hehe…!”

“Ugh….”

“So soft…!”

– Poke. Poke.

“Hehe…!”

“Ugh…”

A laugh escaped her.

It was both surprising and delightful to see Ricardo, who usually scolded her, in such a state.

Ricardo was busy every day.

Cooking daily.

Taking her to the bathroom when the bell rang.

When she whined about wanting to go outside, he would indulge her without complaint, happily taking her along. He spent his days in a flurry. So… it was nice to see him like this.

“…”

So that must be why she didn’t want to wake him.

It was rare to see Ricardo resting.

With a faint smile, Olivia gently stroked Ricardo’s hair for quite a while. She knew that if she didn’t wake him, she wouldn’t get breakfast, but what did it matter? Today, she felt good just being able to see him sleeping.

After about ten more minutes of running her fingers through Ricardo’s soft hair, Olivia began to twitch her eyebrows at the heaviness she felt in her legs.

“Ugh…”

“…”

“Ughhh…”

“…”

“Ugh… so heavy…!”

It felt like her legs were going numb.

With a foreboding sense that her immobile legs might turn into dried squid if this continued, Olivia squeezed her eyes shut and started to push Ricardo toward the edge of the bed.

“…Huh? Miss?”

“Hmm?”

Ricardo woke up.

“Hmm…? Why am I sleeping here?”

As Ricardo rubbed his eyes and asked, Olivia gave an awkward smile.

“I don’t know.”

She hadn’t meant to wake him.

She didn’t want to disturb his deep sleep, and now that she had, Olivia felt sorry.

“…Pfft.”

But Ricardo, as always, smiled and looked at her. If he had woken her up, she would have been angry, but Olivia thought it was impressive how unfazed Ricardo was.

“Did you have a good dream?”

“Yeah.”

“What kind of dream did you have?”

Olivia pouted her lips, glancing at the legs that had been beneath Ricardo while he slept.

“A dream about being covered in chocolate.”

“…Ah. I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. Ricardo is light, so I didn’t feel much.”

“I think I heard you say just a moment ago that it was heavy.”

“Eek…!”

Ricardo smiled.

Having just woken up, he was getting ready to head down to the kitchen for a light stretch.

“Are you going to make breakfast?”

“Yes.”

“It’s 10 o’clock, you know?”

“I can make it in 20 minutes.”

“Oh…”

“Since there’s not much time, I’ll quickly whip up some bacon and an omelet.”

“Fluffy…!”

“I’ll make it delicious.”

“Yum!”

Ricardo promised a tasty breakfast and headed down to the kitchen.

Listening to the clattering sounds coming from the kitchen, Olivia lay in bed. Staring at the same ceiling, gazing at the same scenery.

“…”

It hadn’t been boring.

Now, I had grown accustomed to this life.

Perhaps the word “resignation” would be fitting.

Ricardo had hung glow-in-the-dark stars on the ceiling to keep boredom at bay. He said I would tire of seeing the same ceiling.

Before the mansion was remodeled, the ceiling had been covered in torn wallpaper… remnants of the old mansion where Mikhail’s photos had once been displayed.

Whenever Ricardo tore them down, I would put them back up.

And when I put them back up, he would tear them down again…

Now, they were gone.

It had been a difficult time for both Ricardo and me. Of course, it must have been harder for him, but it was a gloomy time. Sometimes, when I superimposed memories of the past onto the present room, I would find myself on the verge of tears.

…It was foolish of me.

Losing my legs.

Losing my memories.

Stabbing with daggers.

The room, which bore the marks of a villainous end, felt like a prison of reflection. It wasn’t that I disliked it. Now, Ricardo had adorned it with good memories. Perhaps it was just a small complaint.

From the moment I used dark magic, I felt as if my time had stopped. I had become a fool, unable to do anything with my own body.

Just for my sake, I had stolen Ricardo’s time and created a sad outcome. It felt like emotions were pouring out.

I needed to move forward, yet sometimes I resented myself for not being able to.

Everything stemmed from my own mistakes.

Though I wasn’t familiar with the feeling of regret, looking back on the past inevitably led to it. I would find myself feeling gloomy, peeking at the emotion of “rather…”

Yet, every time I felt that way, it was undeniable that I could endure because Ricardo was by my side.

The villain that people despised.

That was who I was.

At the academy.

In a reality where I had lost everything.

I always felt grateful to Ricardo, who reached out to me despite the countless daggers I had plunged into myself.

If I had been in Ricardo’s position, I wouldn’t have been able to act as he did.

In that moment, a bad memory flickered through Olivia’s mind. One of the many memories shown by the blue window.

—I hope the memories we shared were joyful.

—Why are you saying that all of a sudden…?

– I just want to be emotional today.

– No… something’s different.

– It’s the same.

– It was a good life.

Creak…

That fool probably didn’t even give me a chance.

Olivia let out a deep sigh and lowered her head. The unwelcome memories resurfaced, making her breath tremble.

She had to move forward.

Not to stay in one place.

She wanted to lighten the burden she had placed on Ricardo’s shoulders, even just a little.

But the thought of leaving Ricardo’s side was not an option. She couldn’t do without him now.

It wasn’t just because her body was uncomfortable; the idea of letting go of Ricardo, who had become a part of her life, was unimaginable for Olivia.

She knew it was a burden for Ricardo, but her selfish stubbornness made it impossible to give up.

She was greedy.

A villain who didn’t want to let go.

This was the essence of Olivia, so she squeezed her eyes shut and took a step off the sheer cliff.

“…”

Sitting on the edge of the bed, Olivia closed her eyes to the dizzying height. It was the first step she was taking after losing her legs to dark magic.

It had been a long time since Ricardo suggested rehabilitation and she had fallen. This was the first time she was trying to walk on her own.

– Don’t do it! What’s the point? You’ve lost your legs anyway!

– Miss! Shouldn’t we at least hold onto a glimmer of hope…?

– It’s embarrassing!!! I’m just going to fall anyway! Just let me live as a legless person and die in peace.

– …Hold my hand.

– Let go!

– Just try it once.

– …

– Thud!!!

– …

– Just once more…

– Don’t touch me. It’s annoying.

-…I’m sorry.

It was terrifying.

I was broken.

Standing on the precipice where I couldn’t muster the courage, Olivia squeezed her eyes shut and exhaled.

She knew she would fall again. The same conclusion and the pitiful sight of herself crumpled on the floor loomed vividly before her, but today, the desire to show a different version of herself was stronger…

“…”

Olivia found her courage.

She placed her hand on the bedside table. Feeling a level of misery in her legs that was almost laughable.

“…”

Her trembling hand shook like a quaking aspen, mocking her for finding the courage, and her breath grew ragged. As if whispering, “You can’t do it.”

“…Don’t be ridiculous.”

The plush bed seemed to reach out, unwilling to let her go, but Olivia squeezed her eyes shut and exhaled.

“I’m a villain.”

“A villain who gets things done.”

“I will… even if I’m scared…!”

The nightstand trembled.

It quivered under the weight of Olivia’s determination.

Her legs, as if glued to the floor, refused to budge, threatening to tear apart her brave heart. Yet, Olivia’s hand continued to question the usefulness of her legs.

‘You can do it.’

Tears threatened to spill.

Disappointment washed over her as the results of her hard-won courage failed to materialize.

She had dreamed of a miracle where her heart would rise tall, but in reality, she sat on the bed, staring at her reflection in the mirror, feeling like she might cry.

She felt like a fool challenging the impossible.

Like a cripple dreaming of being able to run.

But.

“…sniff.”

Even if she fell, Olivia wanted to overcome it. Just once. If she could face it just one time.

If she could show this changing self to Ricardo, she could ask him to match her stubbornness.

“Sniff…”

Even if tears fell to the floor.

“Sniff…”

Even with her shoulders drooping in despair.

“Huff…”

Olivia wanted to move forward.

*

– Crash!!!

Startled by the noise from the upper floor of the mansion, I untied my apron and rushed to the young lady’s room.

It was a dull sound.

Like the sound of someone falling.

“Young lady!”

What could she have done?

Had she fallen off the bed while rolling around? With countless worries racing through my mind, I burst through the young lady’s door.

“Sniff…”

I could see the young lady lying on the floor.

A pang of sorrow hit me.

She hated falling. Though she usually hid it well, I knew that when she became one with the floor, it meant a day of despair for her, so I squeezed my eyes shut.

But.

“Hehe…”

My eyes trembled at the sight of the young lady smiling.

She was smiling.

“…I did it.”

The young lady, sprawled on the floor, wore a beaming smile with her glassy eyes. It was as if she was asking me to lean on that small hope.

“…Huh?”

A foolish sound escaped my lips.

It was a sound that came out like a goldfish’s lips flapping.

The young lady smiled and spoke to me.

“Ricardo.”

“Young lady…”

“I’m up.”

– Drop.

“Uh…?”

– Drip…

“Uh.. Why is this happening?”

Tears fell down.

Unintentionally.

Drip. Tears fell down.