11 Going Out

After erasing all the graffiti on the wall, I looked at the clean wall with a refreshed expression.

"Perfect."

The wall was free of any graffiti.

Today was the day I was going out with the lady.

It wasn't an event that happened every day. The lady, who usually detested going out, was finally stepping out of the house.

The Empire's Top 5 Tastiest

"Friend of the Forest."

It was a restaurant in Hamel, which lacked any notable tourist attractions but was turned into a hotspot thanks to its restaurant. Renowned for its juicy steaks and the fresh harmony of vegetables, today the lady and I were going there.

I had something to tell the lady today. I had been pondering over when to share the happy news. I planned to tell her that I had finally paid off all our debts.

I wondered how happy the lady would be to hear that we no longer needed the newspapers as bedding. I became curious about her expression.

"She'll be pleased."

Before heading back to the mansion. I checked the wall one last time for any strange writings.

I wanted to show the lady only good things since it was a rare outing after all.

"It's clean."

Whether it was scribblings that said to expel the evil villainess from the village or marks that labeled it 'the house where the villainess lives', I thought erasing them would let the lady leave the mansion with a lighter heart.

It could hurt the lady, who was sensitive at heart, to see such phrases.

Although she often cursed and grumbled, she was surprisingly afraid of cockroaches, and if she had a nightmare, she would cry and whine to sleep together.

Protecting the fragile heart of the lady was also part of a butler's duty.

"A Song of the Forest?"

"Yes."

"You didn't hear wrong?"

"What if I did?"

"I'll be sulky."

The lady, who was greedy for food and could be petulant. She seemed to me like an innocent girl, more so than many other people.

"Ricardo! When did you come!"

A loud voice echoed from the second floor of the mansion. She must be thrilled at the thought of eating meat.

She was like a child begging to go to an amusement park, looking like she would burst into tears if told no.

'Does she like meat that much?'

I thought she ate it frequently, but it seemed the lady still wanted more.

Now that I had paid off the debt, maybe we could afford meat about five times a week.

We had escaped the life with the negative bank balance and become a sort of new humanity.

We'd remodel the mansion, fix the leaking roof, and hire cleaning staff—a formerly fallen noble who's now prepared the groundwork for a luxurious aristocratic lifestyle, so buying meat should no longer be a frightening expenditure.

Still, I would have to compromise on the cuts of meat.

But first, I had to replace our cheap tea with something better.

I resolved to visit a tea house first when going to the bustling streets.

"Ricardo!"

"Yes!"

I had to hurry. She would probably start crying otherwise.

***

"You're late."

The lady was sitting on the bed, glaring at me.

"Why are you so late!"

"There was a lot of trash outside."

"Still, you're too late!"

The lady, impatient and eager to leave, disliked my tardiness. Her arms were crossed and her lips pouted, which I so wanted to pull.

-Intently.

The lady's villainous gaze shot towards me.

"Ugh."

I defended myself from a guilt-inducing psychic attack by tugging at the lady's cheeks.

"Don't pull on them!"

They were rather soft. I thought they felt like rice cakes.

When pulled to one side, they stretched.

"Don't pull!"

"Ah…"

"They're going to rip. Nooo… They'll rip!"

"They're soft!"

When stretched to the other side, they expanded in that direction.

"Hoooo!"

After enjoying the satisfying touch of her cheeks, I got hit with a 'Woosh' from the lady's fluffy punch as I held her cheeks. Annoyed and unsatisfied, the lady threw a punch filled with irritation and intent. I dodged lightly and took out two papers from my pocket, and slapped them onto the lady's forehead.

The lady stiffened like a Jiangshi (Chinese Vampire) and calmed down after smelling the paper.

"Sniff, sniff."

"It's the real deal."

"Huh… It's really true?"

"Of course, why else would I tell you to get ready?"

"Huh… I'm happy."

The lady was excellent at switching moods.

She was dressed as a person for the first time in a while.

Her beloved pajamas, which she wore every day, finally went into the laundry basket, and she sat neatly on the bed dressed in a black dress suitable for a ball.

The lady, well-dressed after so long, was beautiful.

"Did you put on perfume?"

"Yeah. Wanna smell?"

The lady flipped her hair and showed me her nape. I felt my face flush with heat at the sight of her bare white skin without hesitation.

'Insane.'

It was a gesture too overwhelming for a Confucian boy like me.

I turned my head away.

'I'm going nuts.'

While the lady looked suitably like a goddess of beauty after so long, and I was thrilled to see her,

"Lady…"

"Hmm?"

Um…

"Are you planning to go out looking like that?"

"Why?"

"Because…"

I took out a mirror from the dressing table to show the lady her face.

The lady tilted her head, not understanding what was amiss.

"Why? Too pretty?"

No, it's…

The lady had mistakenly applied makeup as if she was in a Japanese period drama.

With thick eye makeup.

Smears of lipstick.

And cheeks overly painted in red.

She seemed excited for the rare outing and had applied a bit too much on her face.

Like an elementary student who had covertly used her mother's makeup.

I wiped Olivia's face with a makeup removal pad.

'Pfft,' she grumbled with annoyance. I wiped off the lady's makeup to preserve the dignity of the nobility.

"You're too beautiful. I'm afraid if you go out like this, you'll be harassed."

"Really? Did I apply too much strength?"

"Yes, it's a bit too much, and in many ways, it looks dangerous."

"Is that so?"

The lady smirked, basking in the compliment about her appearance.

"Hehe. Please make me look pretty."

Olivia looked at me with a foolish smile.

I couldn't help but adore her.

Having corrected the lady's makeup at numerous balls, I was accustomed to makeup. I had often tended to the lady, who in the past had swept up young ladies by the nape at balls looking like a warrior with her makeup removed.

I began to naturally correct Olivia's makeup.

Not too strong.

Not too soft.

I finished the makeup in the style she liked.

I held up a mirror to Olivia's face.

"Oh…!"

Olivia, with puffed cheeks, alternated her gaze between the mirror and me. She seemed satisfied, giving me a thumbs up and a contented nod.

"Beautiful."

"It's because your natural beauty is already there."

"Heh…"

The makeup was not too heavy. Olivia, with red tint on her lips, smiled demurely.

The preparations were complete.

I crouched down with my back to the bed.

"Now. One, two, three…!"

"Heave-ho."

Olivia expertly climbed on my back.

It felt like just yesterday when she was too embarrassed to be carried on my back, but now I felt warmth from the lady's habit of trustingly entrusting her body to me.

We had reached a point where we could rely on each other's backs, and that made me feel good.

I heaved Olivia onto my back and joked with her.

"Oof, you're heavy."

"That's a lie."

"It's true. You haven't been secretly eating chocolate, have you?"

"…Am I really that heavy?"

I teased her, but I felt like I had uncovered a secret I didn't want to know.

The lady, trying to change the subject, hastily searched for another topic.

"Is the weather nice outside?"

"You're banned for a week."

"…Sorry."

I wrapped a carrier around the waist, and we headed out.

***

We attracted a lot of attention.

Carrying a fully grown adult on my back was bound to draw the eyes of the townspeople.

"Mommy, why is that lady being carried?"

"Maybe she's uncomfortable walking."

"Where does it hurt?"

"Even mom doesn't know?"

The overt stares made the lady hold my neck even tighter.

"Gah! Lady. I can't breathe. Breathe!"

"Shh…"

Olivia was feeling embarrassed.

It was shameful to have a sore body.

All the conversations she overheard felt like ridicule directed at her.

As we moved further from the mansion, the lady became increasingly quiet. Despite wearing a hat with a deep brim, she was so jittery that she only looked at the ground.

"Heave-ho."

"Am I heavy?"

The lady whispered in my ear in a faint voice that sounded nervously dark.

"No. You're so light I hardly notice I'm carrying you."

"That's a lie."

"No, it's true."

She felt lighter than the sword I usually carried.

I couldn't tell if it was because I was so happy to have an outing with the lady after a long time or something else, but I felt surprisingly strong today.

If I wanted to leave Olivia with good memories, it seemed that she would only remember how many bricks were on the ground if we continued like this.

I changed our direction to the restaurant instead of heading to the tea house.

I decided to break the awkwardness by sharing an old story as we walked to the restaurant.

I wasn't sure if it would amuse her, but I hoped it would help Olivia relax.

"Do you remember when your shoelaces broke at the Royal Academy? I had to carry you back to the dorm."

"Right."

"You were really heavy then."

– Thump –

Olivia delivered a punch.

"It hurts."

"I hit you so it would hurt."

"Puhaha… Where's a spot to hit such a lovable butler."

"There are plenty."

Olivia buried her face in my back.

The continual attention of the people was overwhelming, and she was thankful for the playful butler, so she pressed her face into me.

"We're not turtles, why are you hiding in my shell?"

"I just want to be a turtle now."

"Puhaha…"

The shy lady peeked through the bustling area shielded by the butler's wide back. A turtle curious about the outside world, yet burdened by the stares of the people.

As her nerves slightly eased, she slowly began to look around.

"Oh…"

Olivia found the bustling scene of the town fascinating, having not seen it in a long time.

New buildings had risen.

Some familiar ones had vanished.

Buildings laden with memories remained as they were.

Olivia slowly relaxed.

During her Royal Academy days, she would come down to the manor to snack, and she even splurged on outfits from 'here to there.' A fond and somewhat nostalgic patina of memories vividly crossed her mind.

"Look over there."

"Do you mean the cotton candy?"

"We used to buy it there all the time."

"That's right. It's been so long."

Olivia mustered the courage to speak.

"What if we buy some cotton candy after we eat?"

I answered heartily.

"Sure."

The destination at the center of the bustling area came into view.

The restaurant was still bustling, even late in the day. I took out the meal ticket from my pocket and told Olivia to hold onto it.

"Show this to the waiter when you see them."

"Okay."

Malik had said.

-This is a special ticket, show it to the waiter, and you can get in without waiting in line. It's an expensive ticket, so don't be stupid and wait in line, go straight in.

-Oh…!

The bustling restaurant.

We slowly made our way into the shop, cutting through the long line.

"Excuse us."

"Sorry."

"Pardon me."

"Sorry."

Pushing through the massive crowd with Olivia and me, I spotted a waiter in the distance and called out loud.

"Over here! Lady, wave your hand!"

"Uh… Uh!"

"Manager~"

"Here… Here!"

Suddenly, somebody grabbed us.

I stopped walking and turned my head.

Behind Olivia and me stood a familiar person.

"Ha. What is this?"

Annoyance filled the voice.

A voice thick with disgust.

"What are you doing here?"

A man with green-hued hair.

Ruin was standing there, looking at us.

*** ***

Ruin was standing there.

He looked at me with a face full of dissatisfaction, and I couldn't figure out why.

"It's nice to see you here, Mr. Ruin. How pleasant."

"Pleasant, you say?"

Ruin let out a cynical laugh. Why was he behaving like this? We had shared meaningful life lessons last time with Hanna and had a great time, so why was he giving me that look?

I felt a pang of disappointment at Ruin, who seemed to have forgotten the good old days.

Still, meeting here felt like fate.

I thought that if we talked it over as classmates from the Academy, things might be alright.

I greeted Ruin with the joy of our reunion.

"Is this our first encounter since we last met at the mansion? You left before seeing the lady, I believe."

"What? Who?"

"The Lady Olivia Desmond."

Ruin scoffed quietly.

Olivia Desmond.

His rival, the woman who had inflicted an indelible shame on him.

The name of the unforgivable woman sweetly rolling off the tongue of an unforgivable man.

Ruin was savoring his prey.

He had one reason to call upon Ricardo. He found it amusing that Ricardo, without a dime to his name, had come to 'Friend of the Forest'.

He wanted to embarrass him in front of all these people and make him apologize for last time's incident.

There was a white-haired woman carried on his back, but Ruin didn't care.

Whoever was with Ricardo had to be of the same level as him he supposed, judging by the outdated dress she was wearing, she must be a fallen noble from the outskirts.

And Olivia had black hair.

Convinced that Olivia wasn't here, Ruin spoke.

"So, where is your master? If you're here, you should be with your master."

"Huh?"

"And what sort of butler comes with another woman? Pretending to be on a date. Pfft. Do you even have any money?"

"Another woman? But the lady is right here."

"What are you talking about?"

Ruin flinched, his shoulders trembling.

Ruin, who had only heard about Olivia through rumors, was unaware of many things.

Starting with Olivia's hair now turned white to the fact she could be carried around for a simple walk, all he knew about Olivia was through rumors told by his friends. They had no desire to recall the girl they expelled, and the infrequent rumors were all he knew about Olivia.

-I heard Olivia's crippled, can't walk.

The rumor which started with a fact transformed throughout its journey.

-They say Olivia's life is in danger.

Ruin, who received the exacerbated version, was under the mistaken belief that Olivia was languishing at home.

That's why Ruin couldn't recognize the lady behind him and blundered by confessing what he wished to see before Olivia.

I whispered to Olivia, who was busy counting tiles on the floor.

"Lady, that's Ruin."

"Ruin?"

Olivia lifted her head up innocently.

In an instant, Ruin's shoulders shook again. Unable to meet Olivia's gaze, Ruin kept his focus down on the ground.

Why is he acting like that?

Olivia tilted her head in confusion.

"Who is he?"

Olivia looked at Ruin with a truly puzzled expression.

"You know, the one at the Academy who boasted of being your rival."

"The only rival I have is Yuria."

"But he claims to be so."

"Him?"

Olivia glanced back at Ruin.

Ruin twitched.

The Ruin who had been up in arms, demanding to see Olivia's face when he visited our mansion, had now become as timid as a cat with raised fur.

He looked like he wanted to react, but feared retribution, caught in a pitiable state of indecision.

"Sigh."

"How about it? Do you remember now?"

"Hmm…"

Olivia scrutinized Ruin, knitting her brows. Knowing Olivia's excellent memory over the past 13 years, I could tell she would not be able to recall today.

"Is it the butcher's son?"

"No."

"Then, who?"

"The mayor of the Green Algae Village."

"Aha!"

Ruin became indignant at the accurate introduction and shouted.

"It's not that!"

"Then who are you?"

"I… I am…"

Ruin trembled in front of Olivia. Despite his character in the novels as one who always had a comeback, he was at a loss before true madness.

He had been the same at the Academy.

The turncoat who would excitedly gossip about Olivia behind her back, only to be shushed and flee the classroom when Olivia told him to.

I did not understand why he only acted like this around Olivia.

One thing was sure: Ruin was scared of her.

Olivia held on tightly to my neck. Her ample chest pressing against my back threatened the dignity of manhood, but I endured by mentally singing the national anthem.

"Let's go, Ricardo. I'm hungry."

"Just a moment, shouldn't we find out who he is first?"

It would be complicated to move right now in many ways.

"Hmm."

Olivia addressed Ruin.

"Who are you?"

"I… I-I… I am"

"Don't stutter, speak clearly."

Olivia's stern command barely coerced Ruin into speaking.

"I'm an apprentice of the tower lord."

"Oh, I see."

Olivia raised her thumb up.

"Well then, enjoy your meal."

At this moment, Olivia didn't care if he was Green Algae Top Head or a side male lead; what mattered more to her was the meat in front of her eyes.

"Wait!"

"Why, I'm in a hurry."

"You really don't remember me? Ruin, the Fire Mage of the heatwave. I even got to be the vice top student of the Academy."

Ruin was desperate to be remembered.

I pitied him as I watched.

I should've reminded the lady more often to remember names.

I felt sorry for Ruin in many ways.

"That time, I burned your dress with a fireball and you cursed me so much."

Stop it, secondary male lead.

Don't try to revive the lady's memories with your dark past.

"I don't remember."

"Not at all? You should remember. You burnt my expensive clothes and tormented me with ice magic for 30 minutes. I thought I was going to freeze to death then."

"Hmm."

Olivia declared.

"I don't remember."

I called over a nearby waiter to preserve Ruin's mental state.

"Excuse me, Manager, but could you prepare a table for two, please?"

"Sorry, we are by reservation only. May I know your name, please?"

"Oh… please show it, lady."

Olivia had pressed two meal tickets firmly to her forehead. I had told her to keep them safe and not lose them; they were creased as if she had grasped with all her might.

"Heh."

The lady smiled.

The waiter widened his eyes and began to show us the way.

"I'll guide you to the private room."

Ruin muttered to himself as he watched us leave.

"Special… room?"

Around the time we were out of Ruin's sight, a pink-haired girl tugged at Ruin's sleeve.

"Ruin, what's wrong?"

Ruin, having barely come to his senses, replied reluctantly.

"Nothing. Yuria."

***

Olivia and I sat at the restaurant.

A blissful atmosphere enveloped us.

The table was full of side dishes. There was a feast fit for a king laid out before us.

"Wow…!"

"You're drooling, my lady."

"It's mine, so I'm marking it with my drool."

I dabbed the lady's chin with a napkin to wipe off the drool. No matter that the food was destined for her mouth, it was still troublesome in many ways for nobility to act so unreservedly.

More side dishes continuously arrived at the table.

Even just counting visually, there seemed to be over thirty varieties, and I didn't remember ordering this much.

Worried that there might have been a mistake with our order, I cautiously raised my hand and brought my face close to the waiter's ear.

"Excuse me."

"Yes, sir?"

"We ordered the steak set, but it seems there has been some mistake with the order."

"Oh, it's alright. Since you've come with the meal ticket personally given by our manager, we should at least do this much for you."

"Manager? I received these from Malik."

"That's right, Mr. Malik."

"Huh?"

"Our manager."

I brought my hands together in prayer, thinking of Malik somewhere swinging his sword, saying a prayer for him.

Wishing I could see him again.

Especially today, more than ever, I wanted to see the man who had repaid our debt and bestowed upon us these precious meal tickets.

We took up our forks and knives.

The sizzling sound as the steak, filled with juices, was sliced.

"Wow… Lady, look at the juices… I see you've already started."

The lady stuffed her mouth full of meat, making a loud noise.

"Woah!"

Her eyes gleamed so brightly you'd think that Sim Bong-sa had regained his sight.

"It's delicious…!"

I felt great.

This is why we endure everything we go through.

The lady chewed vigorously on her steak, almost as if she would dislocate her jaw.

She then momentarily paused, trimmed the steak smaller than her pinky, and extended it towards me.

"Ah."

"Are you offering this to me?"

She nodded.

"Then please cut a bigger piece. Isn't this too small?"

A spark. I opened my mouth, intimidated by the silent threat in the lady's eyes.

Certainly.

It was delicious.

Just as described in novels, the juices came alive in my mouth, and it seemed as if I could see calves frolicking before my eyes.

"Wow."

"Tasty, isn't it?"

"Yes, it's really delicious."

"Hehe, eat a lot. I'm not the one treating, after all."

And so, we completely emptied the table.

***

"Oh, I'm full."

Rubbing her distended belly, Olivia smiled joyfully as we indulged in dessert.

With grease at the corners of her mouth and a loud belch, she looked nothing like nobility.

It was about time.

The evening had arrived, and the atmosphere was ripe.

It was time to serve today's main course.

Finally, it was time to reveal that all our debts had been paid, and now we could live without fear of being chased away.

Ahem.

I cleared my throat and was about to speak delicately when—

"Ricardo."

"Yes?"

"I have something to say."

After the meal, the lady who had been watching me cautiously started talking first.

She looked around briskly, worried someone might see us.

Despite us being in a private room, away from anyone's eyes, it seemed the lady had some important news to share as she kept checking our surroundings.

"Yep, no one's here."

The lady nodded, looking exceedingly cute.

Sip. She took a drink of her tea.

Then, Olivia began to pull out a piece of paper from between her breasts.

"No! What are you doing?"

"Huh? Searching my pocket?"

"That's not a pocket!"

I spread my fingers and shielded my eyes.

I could still see clearly.

Although it's wrong to peek at the lady's body, it would be even worse not to practice the due courtesy of a gentleman.

Slowly, a newspaper emerged from between her breasts.

I wanted to keep this as a treasure for life.

Olivia proudly straightened up and declared,

"This is the biggest pocket."

"No…"

Upon second thought, she might be right.

Olivia's bosom is always correct, after all.

I couldn't contest that.

Slap. Olivia spread the newspaper on the table.

A warm newspaper from her 'chest pocket.' Once again, I covered my nose with a handkerchief.

"What's wrong?"

"Oh, just a runny nose."

"Take good care of yourself. You have to be healthy after eating meat."

Worried about me, Olivia pointed to a line in the article and cheerfully said,

"Hey, I want to work."

"What?"

"Look here."

[Help wanted to attach doll eyes.

– 1 penny per piece]

"How about that?"

She looked at me, seeking approval. I was proud of her initiative, but part of me felt uneasy.

How should I describe this feeling?

Like a son who's never lifted a finger wanting the parents' permission for odd jobs to buy a computer.

I felt a pang of wistfulness mixed with pride at her growth.

"Why?"

Olivia looked up at me again, her eyes shining brightly, asking for permission, and I was at a loss for words.

I wanted to praise her for being so admirable.

But all I could feel was my own inadequacy.

Olivia continued to talk, explaining why she thought the job on the newspaper was a good opportunity, as if trying to persuade me.

"I gave it some thought, you know, with us being in such difficult times. I shouldn't just stand by, so I looked into it."

"…"

"How about it? Isn't it good?"

"Well, it's just that—"

"I even considered selling the mansion."

Olivia laughed awkwardly.

"The price for the mansion I've lived in has dropped quite a bit. They say it's because a villainess lived there."

"When did you look into that?"

"I sent a letter to a real estate agent."

Olivia's initiative made me feel both proud and heartbroken.

I should have done better.

I didn't want to make her worry.

I stuffed dessert into my mouth, filled with a bitter sense of regret.

"Lady. It's alright."

"Why? I can work too."

"I know. But it's still not acceptable for you to work."

"Why not!"

Olivia bent her arm to show off her familiar bicep. The muscle, smaller than a quail egg, was in clear view.

How could such frail arms stick doll eyes on? After about ten, she'd surely start getting sore.

Sigh.

How can I not adore her?

"It's very commendable and I'm proud of you. But we're not in such dire straits anymore."

"What?"

"I've repaid all our debts. That's why I brought you to this restaurant today."

Olivia dropped her fork and shouted at me.

"I told you not to do dangerous things!"

Her face looked like she was about to cry.

She bit her lip and puffed her cheeks to scold, and her eyes began to moisten.

She stared at me intently and began chiding me.

-You shouldn't have!

-That's dangerous!

-Dammit! You shouldn't follow someone just because they pay you a lot of money!

As I listened to the lady's scolding, I thought—

I didn't mind this nagging at all.