TLed by NolepGuy
Chapter 120
The final chapter of “The 3rd Side Story” ‘A Villainess’s Sad Love Story’ begins.
The place where she opened her eyes was dawn. It was the plaza of the capital city.
In the Dawn Plaza, where the drizzling rain was falling from the sky, Olivia slowly opened her tightly shut eyes.
The Clock Tower, towering above the Fountain Square, was pointing to 5 a.m. at this moment.
‘Haah… Give it a rest…’
Olivia swept her trembling hand over her face as she surveyed her surroundings.
‘Now… stop.’
‘Isn’t this enough?’
It was no different from the present.
Except for the fact that it was early morning and dawn, the plaza was nothing but peaceful. It was the plaza of the capital city, a place she often visited with Ricardo, filled with many stores.
Olivia looked around with trembling eyes. She didn’t know what kind of illusion would torment her this time or how much Ricardo would be hurt by the evil deeds she had committed.
She calmed her trembling heart with a fearful mind.
‘It’s not what I did.’
And.
‘It is what I did.’
As two conflicting emotions crossed within Olivia, the familiar Blue Window began to speak in a low tone.
-Two months have passed.
-Your evil deeds have erased even the slightest semblance of good, and your reputation has been destroyed to the point where even the power of your authority could no longer support it.
-While Ricardo was absent, Yuria’s social connections gradually expanded. The forces that used to torment her and those that protected her began to focus on you as their sole enemy.
-Poisoning. Ostracism. Bullying. Arson. And so on.
-All the evil deeds that Ricardo had prevented until now became attributed to you, and even the things you hadn’t done were buried under the weight of your evil deeds.
-To the point where students would say, “This must be Olivia’s doing again.”
-You have fallen apart.
-You were fighting a lonely battle with no one on your side in a desolate place where you had no one to lean on. Even when you cried out in frustration, saying, ‘It’s not what I did,’ there was no one who would listen.
-Now, with no place left to retreat.
-Your desperate final chapter begins.
[The Prologue begins.]
At the end of the pounding Heartbeat, a loud noise was heard from behind her.
-Clatter… Creak… Clatter…!
As Olivia turned her back, the figure of the Red-Haired Man revealed itself amidst the creaking noise.
In the Dark Alleyway, The Man was rolling the wheels of a Wheelchair, battling fiercely to move forward despite the heavy rain and without using an Umbrella.
Upon seeing The Man, Olivia threw herself forward as if propelled.
‘Ricardo…!’
Of course, Olivia’s helping hand was blocked by the cold words of the Blue Window.
[Observer’s Perspective.]
*
-Will the pharmacy be open…!
Waking up early in the morning, Ricardo was vigorously rolling the wheels of his Wheelchair.
Despite the rain, he resolutely roamed the empty Marketplace, rolling the slippery wheels.
Ricardo’s hands, unprotected by Gloves, were covered in small scratches, and his clothes were heavily soaked by the falling rain.
Olivia lowered her head.
‘Stay home… Fool.’
Because there was nothing she could do.
With her spirit crushed by the Blue Window’s resolute words rejecting any action, Olivia could only place her hand over Ricardo’s head, hoping he wouldn’t get wet in the rain.
Of course, it was a futile act.
The Blue Window began explaining Ricardo’s wandering.
-Ricardo went out to get medicine. As his life neared its end, the pain constricting his heart grew more intense. Now, Ricardo had reached the point where he couldn’t endure without medicine, and with his ailing body, he resolved to embark on this journey.
-It was a body that wouldn’t be surprising to die at any moment. That was Ricardo’s condition.
Ricardo, rolling the wheels with vigor, moved his hands with a Bright Smile.
-Today, I feel good.
The smile on Ricardo’s lips as he rolled the wheels foolishly was a dry smile, like that of someone who had reached enlightenment.
His lips were cracked, and his skin was dry.
Olivia could feel that the smile on his lips was a lie. It wasn’t the Gentle Smile he used to give her; Ricardo’s smile, as if he had given up on everything, painfully tightened Olivia’s heart.
-Clatter…!
-Eeeek!! Thud!
-Oh no… Wait a moment…!
There were times when he fell to the ground due to excessive force, but even then, Ricardo smiled brightly and struggled to get back up.
Since it was early dawn and there was no one around to see his pitiful state, he could take his time to slowly lift his body.
-I have to move quickly while no one’s around.
Ricardo muttered in a Small Voice.
-I don’t want to show the Young Lady an embarrassing sight…
‘…It’s not embarrassing.’
Recalling what he had said before, Ricardo, sprawled on the ground, moved his body to lift the fallen Wheelchair.
Like someone being chased, Ricardo wandered around, nervously lifting the Wheelchair with trembling hands and struggling to move his unresponsive legs.
If someone asked what had made him this way, Olivia thought she wouldn’t be able to answer.
Because the one who had made him this way was no one else, not even an unexpected accident, but solely her own responsibility.
Time passed, and Ricardo stopped in front of a Shabby Pharmacy on a corner of the capital city’s streets.
Pulling his hood deeply over his head, Ricardo, drenched like a Mouse in the rain, stared endlessly at the clock on the quiet street where no one would come, trying to soothe his gloom with a dry face wash.
-Haah… Damn…
Once again, a slight tremor began to arise in Ricardo’s body.
-It’s not right to collapse now, after coming all this way.
From Ricardo’s hand, as he wiped his face, drops of Red Blood began to fall.
On the rainy street, Ricardo’s dripping blood mixed with the rainwater, disappearing without a trace.
Ricardo’s face began to be soaked in blood.
It was a bizarre sight.
Ricardo’s face, bleeding and pitiful, was being washed clean by the endless rain, creating a strange image as if erasing all traces of Ricardo, making it seem like no one could ever find him.
Ten minutes passed like that.
And then twenty minutes passed.
Soaked to the bone by the rain, Ricardo lowered his head and muttered quietly.
-Let’s go back.
Looking at the unopened door of the pharmacy, Ricardo gave a Bitter Smile and turned his body.
-If I faint here… That’s not okay.
Ricardo shook his head.
-It’s unsightly to be seen like this.
Ricardo, who had struggled through the rainy street, sighed as he placed his hand on the Wheelchair’s wheel to turn away from the pharmacy.
And.
-What are you doing here… now?
The moment the Strange Woman’s hand touched Ricardo’s shoulder, his body froze like ice.
At the same time, Olivia’s eyes also froze, holding a modest hope that it might be her.
She slowly raised her head, which had been bowed.
And.
-Ah… Haha.
Olivia blamed herself for being clueless and lowered her head again.
-You…
The person holding Ricardo’s shoulder was not her but Yuria, leaving Olivia despondent.
Yuria, who had thrown her Umbrella to the ground and run over, was panting heavily as she looked at Ricardo.
-Pant… Pant…
‘Why…’
Olivia let out a sigh, lowering her head at the sight of the illusion that didn’t align with her wishes.
‘Is it not me?’
I wish it had been me.
Thinking that it would have been a little better if he had noticed even now, Olivia slowly lowered her head.
‘Why…’
‘Can’t you be on my side just once? If I show you something like this… Can’t you be on my side just once? You’re always too late…!’
Olivia shouted at the Blue Window, but the Blue Window, offering no response, merely repeated the same words.
[Observer’s Perspective.]
-Interference with the subject is not allowed.
Yuria’s voice pierced through the sound of the falling rain.
-I’m asking, what are you doing here right now!
With a voice full of anger, Yuria scolded Ricardo, her golden eyes flashing sharply.
‘Eyes of Divinity.’
The moment Yuria’s talent of blessing swept over Ricardo’s body, her pupils began to tremble greatly.
-What…? This is…
A foolish question spread into the rain. Yuria, faced with the sight of a body in a dreadful state she had never seen before, couldn’t even exhale.
Amid the silence enveloping Yuria, a small voice was heard. Ricardo’s low voice, which didn’t force an answer, softly echoed as if to calm Yuria’s frozen body.
-Shh.
Ricardo, with an awkward smile, gave a timid wink. Despite his lips being covered in blood, an action he shouldn’t have done, Ricardo clumsily winked and looked at Yuria again and again.
-I fell on the way…
-Say something that makes sense!!!
Yuria shouted with a rough tremble.
-What is this…! Why are you like this again?
Yuria’s hands wandered aimlessly, unsure of what to do. Where to start fixing it—or rather, Yuria instantly realized it was a body that couldn’t be fixed anymore.
Even so, Ricardo, with the same smile, once again brought his finger to his lips and said.
-You didn’t see anything. Miss Yuria.
Yuria couldn’t hear Ricardo’s words. Overwhelmed by the unbearable shock, she simply trembled, unable to stop her hands from shaking.
Unable to do anything, just staring blankly at Ricardo, Yuria, at a loss, heard Ricardo speak with a small smile, saying the same words he always said to her.
-I did something bad, so I’m just being punished.
-You know, don’t you, that I’m a bad person.
-So… *Cough*…!
-So this is the punishment I deserve.
Blood flowed from his trembling hands.
Yuria lowered her head and spoke to Ricardo.
-It’s because of Olivia, isn’t it.
-Haha… No, it’s not.
-It’s because of that woman, isn’t it.
-It’s not. Really.
Yuria, with a cold voice, spoke to Ricardo.
-One week.
-…
-In one week, the Disciplinary Committee for Olivia will be held.
-I see.
-I…
Yuria, with cold eyes, looked at Ricardo and said.
-I can’t forgive Olivia. And of course…
-I know.
-So…!
Yuria rubbed her eyes with her sleeve.
-So…!
She endlessly wiped her eyes with the rainwater.
-Don’t be in pain! Apologize to me…! I also… I also….!
-I’m sorry.
Ricardo nodded with a hollow smile toward Yuria.
Then, with a bitter smile, Ricardo spoke to Yuria.
-I tried my best, but it didn’t reach you. I’m sorry.
Yuria, wiping her tears, grabbed the handles of Ricardo’s wheelchair roughly.
-Let’s go.
-Where to?
-The hospital. Let’s go get treated right now.
-No. I know my body best.
After a prolonged back-and-forth, Yuria, defeated, looked at Ricardo with complicated emotions.
-Let’s go… Please.
-No.
-Please… Just… Let’s go.
-You know.
Ricardo quietly asked Yuria, who couldn’t leave.
-Why are you going this far?
-Who knows.
Ricardo, with a faint smile, replied to Yuria.
-It’s ‘affection,’ isn’t it. Because I owe a debt to you that I can never repay.
[The final chapter. The climax begins.]
*
Where she opened her eyes again…
-Why! Why are you only like this to me! You’re the same as them!
The Villainess, with rage veins bulging in her eyes, was crouched down.
With frightened eyes and raised hands, she looked shabby and pitiful.
Surrounded by a large crowd, she stood on the Judgment Stand, where cruel words and curses poured down on her.
Rotten Eggs.
And Tomatoes struck her as her reflection came into view.
-Ta-da.
A dark shadow gently descended with kindness.
-Were you moved?
As always, Ricardo, dressed in Butler’s Attire, was becoming her shadow.
-It would be troublesome if you fell for me. For many reasons.