TLed by NolepGuy
Chapter 149
Today, the Young Lady’s Estate was peaceful as always.
“After this… Uh, what was it again?”
Because of the Young Lady’s complaints about being hungry, I was in the kitchen, wearing an apron and cooking.
“It’s been a while since I made this, so I’m a bit confused.”
Tonight’s dinner menu was a little special.
It was a dish that didn’t exist in Another World.
A dish that must be eaten for the New Year.
Though much time had passed since the New Year, I chose the menu with the thought of capturing the festive spirit.
Busy moving around the kitchen, I poured oil into the frying pan and read the recipe written in my pocket notebook, tracing it with my finger.
“Separate the egg whites and yolks, slice the rice cakes diagonally, and soak them…”
Cooking alone, I stumbled a lot. Even though I was a Professional Butler who cooked often, making unfamiliar dishes was challenging.
Tonight’s dinner menu was rice cake soup.
Rice cake soup, a dish I ate every New Year in my previous life, was one of the Young Lady’s favorite foods.
Of course, it had to contain more meat than rice cakes.
While making the rice cake soup, I turned off the heat and fell into thought.
Because of the ominous hallucination I had seen earlier.
Although seeing the Young Lady’s adorable face calmed me down, it was still difficult to completely relax.
A vision of the Young Lady falling to darkness.
The illusion shown to me by the Status Window, which had only conveyed things through text until now, instilled fear in me.
In the illusion titled ‘The True Meaning of Vitality,’ I was dying.
The more I used Vitality, the more my lifespan shortened, and my face lost its vitality.
Yet, as I overused Vitality and pushed my body to its limits, I saw myself foolishly smiling, saying it was fine while watching the Young Lady gradually recover.
Observing oneself from a Third-Party Perspective was more reflective than I had imagined.
Was it because I saw my handsome face? Even as I watched myself grow gaunt, I thought I still looked good, which filled me with complicated emotions. I couldn’t believe how foolish someone could be. At the same time, I understood That Guy’s feelings.
Because I, too, smiled while watching the Young Lady regain her energy.
-Eeeek…!
-I’ve finally taken a step, Ricardo.
-Eeeek! I can take more steps!
-As expected of the greatest Villainess on earth!
-Don’t insult me!
-It’s a compliment… No, I mean, I’m sorry.
Watching the Young Lady’s legs slowly recover as she took one step at a time, I smiled. Ridiculous as it was, while her legs improved, it was me who got worse, yet in reality, I was smiling brightly, thinking it was fortunate. And in the illusion, The Me in the Illusion had no trace of regret on his face.
Seeing the Young Lady take trembling steps with her quivering legs made me happy. The uneasiness in my heart and my fear of Vitality seemed to vanish completely when I saw the Young Lady’s lively smile.
Though a bitter feeling swept over me like a wave, thinking I wouldn’t be able to see the Young Lady for long, even that feeling disappeared as if it had never existed when I saw the Young Lady wiggling her moving toes and smiling brightly.
Really. Even I thought I was a fool.
The Me in the Illusion seemed to have a vague understanding of what Vitality was. He must have instinctively felt what it meant.
With Empty Eyes, he sometimes stared out the window or blankly smiled while looking at the Young Lady. He truly looked happy.
As time passed, and the moment the Young Lady walked entirely on her own strength…
-Thud…!
I saw the scene I feared the most.
With a satisfied smile, the Young Lady hugged me tightly, crying sorrowfully.
-Ricardo…?
Up to this point, it was fine.
The strong Young Lady would soon get back up. That was the Young Lady I believed in and the strength I had seen in her until now, so I smiled bitterly as I watched her cry sorrowfully.
‘At least, she’s crying for me,’ I thought.
But even after a long time, the Young Lady didn’t leave my side and stayed in place.
One day passed.
Two days passed.
She remained in that spot, calling my name.
-…
On the third day, when the Young Lady accepted my death, I realized my belief that she would overcome it quickly was nothing but an illusion.
-You must be so tired.
-…
-Right? Ricardo.
When the Young Lady’s tears stopped, I felt that something had gone terribly wrong.
Not just her tears.
The Dark Energy erupting from her far exceeded anything I could have imagined.
-Rumble…
It was a power I had never felt before.
Perhaps even more than Rowen, no, incomparable to the Apostles who appeared later in the novel, an overwhelming and dense aura of Dark Magic flowed from the Young Lady.
-I’ll bring you back.
From the Young Lady’s trembling voice, soaked with the emotion of ‘grudge,’ I realized that the conclusion I had envisioned wasn’t the best.
‘This isn’t a happy ending.’
I had no idea what would happen next or what the Young Lady would do. As a fool, I couldn’t predict it.
There was no such content in the novel, nor was there any information about the Young Lady using Dark Magic. That’s why I was even more terrified and felt immense fear.
At the same time, I found a new goal.
I reconsidered the things I had given up on until now. Pushing myself beyond my limitations, I began to think about reaching higher goals.
Sword Master. Let’s start with that as the goal.
Looking toward greater heights, I decided to reach for the farthest point. That was the best I could do.
Why hadn’t I realized it before? There were better ways.
When there’s no way, the Possessor creates one, and that’s what makes a Possessor possible.
The word ‘give up’ didn’t suit me, so I corrected my foolish past thoughts while thanking my future self for showing me the worst future.
Because I was a greedy person.
I wanted to enjoy more.
And it was my rightful claim to have the happiness I hadn’t been able to enjoy.
So, I could say it.
Let’s run toward a happy ending.
As I made that resolution and regained my composure, a familiar voice called out from behind me.
“Ricardo! Meat! Meat! Meat!”
Looking at the Young Lady sitting in the restaurant, I smiled and thought to myself.
‘With happiness right in front of me, where would I run away to?’
I replied in a lighthearted tone to the Young Lady, who was being impatient.
“Don’t you feel sorry for the cows that became tonight’s dinner?”
“Ricardo. The world is inherently cruel.”
“I see. Then, to emphasize the importance of health, I’ll only put in half the usual amount of meat.”
“Eeeek! Devil!”
“Devil? Where in the world would you find a Butler as kind as me?”
“Nowhere!”
As the Young Lady grumbled and picked up her fork, her violent expression revealed her intention to throw it if I resisted further. I smiled and said.
“Meat is the main culprit of obesity.”
“I’m not fat!”
“That’s a lie.”
“Eeeek!!!”
The Young Lady’s fork flew toward me with a ‘whoosh.’ Her skill had improved significantly, as the speed and accuracy of her throws had gotten better compared to before. However, with such a clumsy speed, she was still far from being able to hit me.
I quickly turned my head to avoid the Young Lady’s fork.
-Crackle.
With a Small Smile, I created a tiny spark of Static Electricity on my fingertip and flicked it toward the Young Lady’s forehead.
“Ack!”
The tingle of the Static Electricity made the Young Lady’s hair stand on end.
The startled Young Lady looked at me and said.
“Eeeek…!”
“What’s wrong?”
“Something zapped me.”
“That’s a signal that you’ve met your Destined Partner.”
“Really?”
“Do you believe that?”
“Eeeek! Don’t tease me!”
Teasing the Young Lady is truly the most entertaining thing in the world.
*
The Young Lady glared at me with a Sullen Expression.
“What was that earlier?”
“What are you referring to?”
“That. The zap. Wasn’t it you, Ricardo?”
As she held out her empty Rice Cake Soup bowl, the Young Lady’s expression was completely inconsistent.
It was amusing to see her holding out an empty bowl while asking about Magic. Normally, such questions should be asked in a serious setting, but the Young Lady, who couldn’t suppress her curiosity, was questioning me about the Static Electricity she had felt earlier.
I whistled and feigned ignorance.
“It wasn’t me.”
“Lie.”
“How can you be so sure?”
The Young Lady pressed down her disheveled Hair and replied irritably.
“You smiled, Ricardo.”
“I didn’t smile.”
“Don’t lie. I saw it all.”
As expected, those who’ve experienced Magic firsthand understand it better.
The Villainess, who had once wielded Violence through Magic, was more perceptive than I had anticipated.
Perhaps it was because she was the author-certified person with the greatest Talent, but the Young Lady, who was annoyed yet burning with academic fervor, was focusing her gaze on the moving Ladle while speaking to me.
I shook the Ladle up and down and looked at the Young Lady.
“Uh…”
When I put in only a little Meat, her eyes trembled, and she frowned. Conversely, when I added a lot of Meat, her eyes sparkled brightly, and she exclaimed, “Oh…!” Her expression seemed more focused on the Meat filling the empty bowl than on Magic.
With a Small Smile, I spoke to the Young Lady.
“It’s a Secret.”
“Eeeek!”
I handed her the bowl filled with plenty of Meat.
“Alright!”
Indeed, I enjoy these kinds of everyday moments.
That’s why.
I must become stronger.