The Villainess Whom I Had Served for 13 Years Has Fallen-Chapter 302: Approaching steps (3)

Another weekend, Mikhail once again found herself drenched in sweat as she trained in the plains of Hamel.

“One, now!”

Hah!

“Two.”

Grrr...

“The tip of your sword is trembling too much. You won’t even be able to take down a single goblin like that. Steady your breath and three.”

She swung her sword in a consistent rhythm.

Having grown a bit closer through their frequent meetings, Mikhail slumped to the ground, exhausted, and spoke to me.

“Hah... Teacher, this is so hard.”

“How can you say that when you’ve already awakened your aura?”

“Well...”

“Ah, right, you said it was a secret.”

“Yes... I don’t like it becoming a rumor.”

“I’ll be careful.”

Mikhail was hiding the fact that she could use aura. It made sense; to maintain the persona of “Misa,” she had to keep her aura abilities a secret.

That way, the existence of "Misa" would be easier for me to accept, and if I ever tried to find her, I’d realize right away that “Misa” didn’t exist. She’d thought it all out.

I let out a small chuckle and gave the next command. I didn’t want to ask more questions and make things awkward.

But there was something on my mind.

“Isn’t it tiring to come down here every weekend?”

It was her packed schedule that concerned me.

Although I appreciated the growing closeness between us, I couldn’t help but worry.

At my subtle question, Mikhail awkwardly smiled and shook her head.

“It’s fine. I’ve secured enough credits for the first semester.”

“Oh... You’re quite the genius, aren’t you?”

Sure, as the top student of the swordsmanship department, she probably didn’t need to worry about her grades, but still, there were memories to be made at the academy...

I was a little concerned about Mikhail always coming to boring old Hamel. But seeing her burning determination to learn, I decided not to overthink it. Besides, with her current skills, academy lessons probably weren’t much use to her anyway. Training here was likely more beneficial.

I buried my concerns and gave her the next instruction.

“Well then, let’s continue. Four.”

“Can’t I take a little break...?”

“Stop whining.”

“Ugh...!”

Mikhail groaned and swung her sword again. Letting off steam by putting her through this rigorous training wasn’t too bad, and it lifted my mood.

I chuckled softly and gave her some advice.

“Don’t force the aura out too much. Think of it as lightly coating the surface.”

“You make it sound so easy.”

“Well, it was for me.”

“...”

Mikhail furrowed her brow and closed her eyes tightly, focusing on spreading her aura across the tip of her sword. But it didn’t work as smoothly as she had hoped.

Fizz...

And the aura dissipated.

“Ah...”

I watched the faint remnants of Mikhail’s aura disappear with a sigh. She had been so close.

“That’s unfortunate.”

It really was.

From my experience, the most important aspect of mastering aura was control.

Being able to regulate the appropriate amount was crucial for fighting multiple opponents, and it was especially useful in battles against stronger enemies.

Mikhail’s main issue was control. In the battle against Yung in Hamel, she had exhausted her aura too quickly.

While the vast gap between them was the primary cause, the fact that an aura user couldn’t even scratch the Archbishop left much to be critiqued.

“If you had focused just a bit more, you would’ve succeeded. It’s a shame.”

“Hah... Hah...”

“But you’ve improved a lot since the beginning. Back then, you couldn’t even spread it faintly.”

“...Thank you, teacher.”

“I’m getting paid for this, so there’s no need for thanks.”

“....”

Having read the original story, I knew exactly how Mikhail needed to grow.

What she lacked. What she needed to focus on.

Of course, once she awakened the power of the hero and found the holy sword, her abilities would reach new heights, but she still needed to strengthen her fundamentals.

As Mikhail sat under the shade of a tree, wiping the sweat from her brow, she carefully spoke to me, who was holding a parasol.

“Teacher,”

“Yes, Miss Misa?”

“Are you free this afternoon?”

“What time?”

“Uh... How about 2 p.m.?”

“That’s a bit of an awkward time. Why do you ask?”

Mikhail hesitated for a moment before finally opening her mouth.

“Well, I...”

 I found myself sitting in a rather upscale restaurant, invited by Mikhail—or rather, Misa.

Chandeliers hung above. There were private seating areas. It wasn’t quite as exclusive as the “Forest’s Friend,” but it was the type of restaurant you couldn’t just walk into without a reservation.

Sitting there, I gave Mikhail a smile as she awkwardly looked at the menu.

“The... prices...”

I smiled subtly, watching Mikhail squirm. It was clear she wasn’t used to places like this.

She hesitated.

“What do you like, teacher?”

She wanted to act like she’d been here before.

“Oh... you’re not sure what to pick? Then maybe we should go with....”

It was amusing to see her flustered.

The same Mikhail who once cried over a single box in the slums was now treating me to a fancy meal. It was strange to feel this way, seeing the Mikhail who always grumbled at the academy in a different light.

As Mikhail struggled to finish placing her order, I spoke in a gentle tone.

“This looks delicious.”

“Pardon?”

“I said, I’m looking forward to this meal. It looks like it’s going to be good since you’re treating me.”

“Oh... I hope so. It’s the first time I’m treating you to a meal...”

“Anything you’re paying for will taste great, Miss Misa. Free food is always the best food. And besides, what kind of teacher am I, getting meals from my student?”

“...It’s just...”

Mikhail clenched her fists tightly and lowered her head. Maybe the kimbap she had last time left too much of an impression on her. She seemed determined to repay me, which made me laugh.

“Even if it’s just a formality, it’s nice to hear.”

I never thought I’d hear words like this from Mikhail. It stirred a lot of emotions. Whether she meant it sincerely or not, it felt good.

Despite all the misunderstandings and past conflicts, I couldn’t help but appreciate Mikhail’s gesture. There was still a lot of animosity between us, but I didn’t want to think about that in front of a meal.

I smiled softly at her, nodding in gratitude.

 What do you like, teacher?

Mikhail clenched her fists after uttering the question.

She knew nothing.

What he liked. What foods made him happy. Realizing she knew absolutely nothing about him made her feel like her mind was going blank.

‘I really don’t know anything....’

Steak. Salad. Fried dishes.

There were so many items on the menu, but she couldn’t bring herself to choose. It felt like any choice she made would be wrong.

After hesitating for a long while, she finally picked something, and Ricardo smiled gently as he responded.

This looks delicious.

What exactly did he think would taste good?

If he knew she was the one who had chosen the dish, he would’ve frowned. Yet, despite that, Ricardo’s bright smile somehow brought a smile to her face as well. Foolishly.

A thought crossed her mind.

She had never given him anything.

Not in the slums, where they would fight over a single piece of bread.

Here, eat this....What about you?I’ve had plenty. ‘Growl...’Did your stomach just...?You must be really hungry! Why didn’t you say so earlier?

Nor at the academy, where awkwardness ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) kept her from approaching him.

Mikhail! Let’s finally have a meal together this time. Man to man, we’ve got things to talk about....Get lost.I’ll pay.Ugh... dirty money. If I ate with money earned from exploiting people, it would choke me on the way down.I earned that money through honest work.

She had only ever taken from him... And now, as an adult, to think the first time she was treating him to a meal was now... It made her feel embarrassed and angry at herself.

‘...’

Her clenched fists tightened further. The guilt from her foolish past weighed heavily on her, and she couldn’t lift her head.

Haha... I bet anything you buy will taste great, Miss Misa. What kind of teacher mooches off his student?

Despite knowing nothing. Despite not knowing a single thing, seeing Ricardo’s bright smile tore at her heart.

This was all she could offer him.

Even if it’s just a formality, it’s nice to hear.

Seeing how happy he seemed only made the pain in her heart grow.

On the scales of their relationship, so horribly imbalanced, Mikhail stared at the empty side and clenched her fists tighter.

 Swoosh.

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Rain poured down in a melancholy rhythm on the carriage returning to the academy.

Creak.

“Hah... This is bad.”

After a long while driving, the coachman pulled the reins to a halt and stepped down from the carriage. He let out a long sigh as he saw that one of the wheels had gotten stuck in the mud.

“Sigh...”

Knock, knock, knock.

“Excuse me, sir.”

The coachman knocked on the window and spoke to Mikhail.

“I’m really sorry, but do you mind if we leave tomorrow?”

“...What?”

“One of the wheels got stuck in a pit and broke. I’ll need to borrow some tools from a nearby village to fix it.”

The coachman pointed east with his finger as he explained.

“If it’s alright with you, could we spend the night in the village and head out tomorrow?”

“Well...”

Mikhail bit her lip as she looked up at the darkening sky. They were still only halfway there, and it seemed unlikely they’d make it by today, even if they pushed on.

It was fortunate there was a village nearby. After all, there was nothing she could do about the broken wheel.

Mikhail stepped down from the carriage and began walking toward the village.

And then.

“Oh, sir.”

The coachman called after her.

"Have a good night."

"Thank you."

The village they arrived in was...

Foggy, with a thick mist in the air.