The Villainess Whom I Had Served for 13 Years Has Fallen-Chapter 395: The Knight Who Knew Everything (3)

It was an ordinary day.

“...Shall we call it a day?”

“...”

“Lady Shartia?”

That day, like many others, Ricardo and I spent buried in paperwork. It wasn’t until the sun had nearly set that Ricardo suggested we wrap up for the day, closing the documents with a finality that almost felt routine.

Noticing his hesitant gaze, I stretched lazily and shook my head.

“You go ahead. I’ll finish this up before I leave.”

There was still work to be done.

“...Hmm.”

Reluctant to leave, Ricardo let out a small, bitter laugh and began spreading the documents he had just packed up back onto the desk.

“You can go first.”

“...No, I refuse. My tyrannical employer.”

“I’m serious. Go home early today. You’ve been pulling all-nighters—you must be exhausted.”

“How could I leave you alone? I have my honor.”

“Really now...”

“You’re the worst, Boss.”

“Where did you even learn that phrase?”

With the end drawing near, there was no room for carelessness. Even the smallest details in the documents had to be checked, and the crown prince’s movements had to be tracked.

Ricardo let out a long yawn, stretched, and spoke in a soft voice.

“If you keep this up, you’re going to collapse again.”

“I’ll be fine. If I collapse, you’ll save me, won’t you?”

“Oh my...”

“Don’t make that face.”

“Heh...”

That day, too, I worked as usual.

And Ricardo, as always, stayed by my side, making sure I didn’t feel alone.

The sound of pens scratching against paper filled the room, broken only by the occasional yawn.

—...

—...

How dull.

About thirty minutes passed, filled only with the monotonous rustling of papers. Then, rubbing his eyes, Ricardo broke the silence with a drifting voice.

“Your Highness?”

“Hm?”

“Would you like some tea?”

“Sure. I’ll have coffee.”

“Denied. Your blood sugar’s probably low, so I’ll bring you a sweet chocolate latte.”

“Then why did you ask?”

“I just wanted to hear you say you wanted chocolate latte.”

“...Ha.”

What a ridiculous man.

Letting out a quiet laugh at Ricardo’s antics, I closed my eyes and took in the faint, sweet scent that lingered in the air.

“...”

I liked this.

I liked it a lot.

This peaceful routine, where everything seemed to go smoothly and there was nothing to worry about, felt sweeter than any drink.

Even if it was just a mundane life filled with paperwork...

“...It’s nice.”

The scales of power had already tilted heavily in my favor.

The crown prince, unable to stop Wolfgang’s forces, had finally begged the emperor for help.

It was inevitable.

Stopping Wolfgang, who had gained the power of a monstrous beast, was practically impossible for the crown prince.

He lacked allies as strong as the Imperial Knight Commander and couldn’t handle the overwhelming numbers of cultists.

“Hm-hm... Should I warm the milk first?”

If that fool had managed to sway Ricardo to his side, the situation might have been different. But thankfully, luck was on my side. The scales were bound to tip toward me.

Humming as # Nоvеlight # he prepared the tea, Ricardo started nagging without even realizing I was silently praising him.

“Drinking too much coffee can ruin your ability to sleep later.”

“...”

“Do you even know how dangerous caffeine addiction is?”

“Ugh...”

“Good thing I’m here. If you were alone, your dark circles would be down to your knees by now.”

I didn’t particularly enjoy being nagged, but when it came from Ricardo, it felt oddly comforting.

After all, having someone genuinely worry about you was something precious—something not easily found.

And when it was Ricardo, even nagging sounded like music.

I let out a small sigh and shifted the topic to politics, hoping to cut off his lecture before it reached the third verse.

“So, when do you think Wolfgang will be captured?”

“Hmm... If things go quickly, maybe three weeks. Though it’s likely to take longer.”

“Three weeks is longer than I expected. Stabilizing the western region will take even more time.”

“It probably will.”

“But we sent the knight commander, so it shouldn’t take too long. No matter how strong the monster is, it won’t be able to use its full strength outside of water.”

“...What?”

“The monster. It’s a water creature, isn’t it? So...”

Ricardo suddenly looked at me with wide, trembling eyes. His gaze seemed to ask if he had heard me correctly.

“Who did you say was sent?”

“Didn’t I tell you?”

“...No. I thought Mikhail was sent to support the crown prince.”

“No. Mikhail’s handling something else right now. And besides, he doesn’t follow royal orders anyway. He’s just a wandering hero playing make-believe.”

“...Then...”

“Yes. I sent Hystania Lowen to the west. Why...?”

Ricardo’s voice dropped.

“Who’s protecting the emperor right now?”

It was such an obvious question.

“If the empire’s strongest force—the knight commander—is absent...”

“...”

“That means there’s no one left in the palace.”

Ricardo’s eyes widened in realization.

"Your Highness... I believe the situation is dangerous."

It was ridiculous.

Ricardo’s concern for the one person in the world who needed it the least felt absurd.

I scoffed and scolded him, implying that the empire had far more capable knights than just Hystania.

“There are plenty of skilled knights in the empire.”

“...No.”

“You know how strong Lowen’s disciples are. And the vice-captain is practically on par with a Sword Master.”

“That’s not what I mean.”

“Don’t worry so much. My father has a national treasure in his possession. And if someone were going to make a move, they would’ve done so long ago, given how many times Lowen left her post.”

“...No, Your Highness.”

Ricardo, who had been stirring cocoa powder into the heated milk, abruptly stepped forward.

“With the head of the Desmont family gone, there’s no one other than Lowen who can handle an opponent on the level of an Apostle.”

“What are you talking about?”

And then—

—Boom! novelbuddy-cσ๓

The sound of a massive explosion echoed from the direction of the imperial palace.

The deafening roar shattered the air, making my ears ring as I whipped my head toward the window. My eyes widened at the sight outside.

“...What?”

Flames.

A fire so large it consumed the pillars of the palace—the very foundation of my home.

“The palace is...!”

Before I could even begin to process the chaos, shouts rang out from outside the window.

—“Rebellion! The Second Prince has staged a rebellion!”

—“All knights, assemble at the palace immediately! All guards, follow my lead!”

I moved to run toward the palace.

Even if I resented my father, he was still my parent. I ignored the pounding of my heart and prepared to go.

“Ricardo, we need to—!”

But—

“Get down.”

—KABOOM!!

The moment I felt Ricardo’s hand push me down, heat flooded the room.

It was scorching.

The heat burned so close that I could feel it singe my skin.

—Beeeeeeep!

The ringing in my ears wouldn’t stop. My vision swam as I took in the devastation—the wreckage of collapsed buildings, debris scattered across the ground, and smoke rising into the air.

“...Ugh.”

Pain surged through my body like it was screaming at me to stay awake. As I struggled to focus, memories of the explosion snapped me back to my senses.

“Ricardo...!”

He had shielded me.

That meant he must have been hurt worse than I was.

“Ricardo!?”

“I’m here.”

“You...!”

“Phew... Are you all right, Your Highness?”

Somehow, Ricardo stood near the broken window, gazing out as if nothing had happened. He even smiled faintly when he saw me regain consciousness.

No.

—Drip.

“You...!”

He was pretending he wasn’t injured.

“Your arm is bleeding...”

Seeing the blood dripping from his arm, I froze. Ricardo, however, simply shrugged as if it was nothing and smiled reassuringly.

“I’m fine. More importantly, Your Highness—”

“But...!”

“It’s just a scratch.”

“Don’t lie to me!”

A scratch?

Was he expecting me to believe a Sword Master’s body could be injured so easily?

I could still feel the aftermath of the explosion—the searing pain, the ache in my limbs. And yet Ricardo, who had shielded me, was acting as though nothing had happened. My chest tightened painfully.

I knew why he was doing this.

That only made it hurt more.

“...!”

I reached out to inspect his injury, but Ricardo simply smiled and pulled his arm away.

“I’m fine. But...”

Ricardo turned back to the shattered window, his smile fading.

“We’re in trouble.”

Figures in black hoods—cultists—began pouring into the building, their movements swift and precise.

“Why... cultists?”

Caught off guard by the sudden attack, I turned to Ricardo, seeking answers. He always had them.

“...!”

He let out a bitter laugh and gently pushed me behind the debris.

“There must have been a mole among the imperial forces.”

“Wait—”

“It’s probably him.”

“...Who...?”

“Things just got complicated.”

Ricardo’s lips curved into a faint smile, tinged with bitterness.

“Don’t worry. I’ll protect you.”

Blood sprayed into the air.

The battle had begun.

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