The Villainess Whom I Had Served for 13 Years Has Fallen

34 – A Discovered Secret – Part 1

A week had passed since Yuria left.

Now, the Empire was still bustling with adventurers due to the news of an unidentified dungeon found in Hamel.

Adventurers who heard that there was a dungeon in Hamel began coming with the goal of striking it rich.

To prepare for their expedition, the adventurers passing through the walls of the mansion on their way to the downtown area, and we watched them blankly.

“Surely they said it’s an unidentified dungeon, right? Just one valuable artifact. Please.”

“Nonsense. Do you think they’d come out just like that? You should have prayed at the cathedral like me.”

“Oh, come on, you fool. Quit gambling.”

As I watched the adventurers leaving with hope, I muttered softly, “Hmph.”

***

A quiet room on the second floor.

The young lady frowned as she looked at the old bag placed on the bed.

“Is this the 4th-dimensional pouch that Ricardo mentioned?”

“Yes.”

An old bag with patchy stitching.

When the young lady poked it with her finger, it made a clear “clang” sound.

“Oh…!”

The young lady nodded.

“A pouch that grants wishes!”

“Yes. This is a 4th-dimensional pouch that grants any wish.”

The young lady’s eyes widened as she concentrated on the old bag, handling it as if it were a sacred relic. She sent a look of salvation in my direction, hesitating to touch it casually.

“Can I conquer the world with this?”

“…Do you want to?”

“Yes.”

To the completely unexpected answer, I quickly averted my gaze.

The young lady asked me again.

“Is it possible?”

“…That’s a bit.”

“What? Okay then.”

When the disinterested young lady muttered, “Eight,” she struck the bundle, and along with a rumbling sound, golden coins with radiant hues poured out of the bundle.

The young lady pointed at the gold coins with her finger, wearing a puzzled expression.

“Treasure?”

I nodded my head.

“Treasure.”

The treasures inside the bundle were obtained a week ago while exploring a dusty dungeon for two nights and three days.

The treasures adventurers long for, the one-in-a-million treasures, were now inside this worn bundle.

The young lady, unable to contain her astonishment, trembled with excitement.

“A wish… can come true.”

“With this, it’s impossible.”

“…Not enough?”

“Yes.”

“Still, it’s okay.”

The young lady began to smile as she put the gold coins into her chest. I spoke as I watched her move her hands swiftly, like a bank robber sweeping money into a bag.

“What are you doing?”

“Savings.”

“Going in there?”

The young lady nodded her head.

Looking at the young lady’s strange habit that had developed, I felt pleased as I continued to take items from the dungeon on the bed.

“Oh…!”

As the sparkling items were displayed one by one on the bed, the young lady’s eyes widened, and she clapped her hands.

“Do you see them?”

Golden bracelets, golden cups, and so on, all shining treasures in a dazzling array. Overwhelmed by the splendor of the treasures, the young lady placed her hand on her forehead and staggered.

“Oh dear… I feel like I’m going blind.”

I shrugged my shoulders as if it was no big deal.

“Our wealth is about this much.”

“Are we not beggars anymore?”

“Yes.”

“Really?”

The woman looked at me with an expression of disbelief.

She looked at me with a proud expression today, more than anyone else, and my face turned red because I hadn’t received such treatment in a long time.

The woman raised her thumb.

With a refreshing smile, she showered me with high praise.

“I’m proud of you!”

I scratched the back of my head and blushed.

“I feel the same way.”

Murmuring in response to the woman’s praise, I took out the remaining items.

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Elixir of Mana [A]

◈If consumed by a target with a Mana ability value of ‘+30’ or less, the Mana ability value increases by ‘+10’.

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This is a gift for Malik.

Thinking of Malik, who was about to awaken gradually, I brought back this treasure from the dungeon.

Ora is known for its poor fuel efficiency.

For a Swordsman, Mana was used for auxiliary magic that required relatively less Mana, like body strengthening magic. But after Ora awakened, he had to focus on increasing the total amount of Mana, to the extent that he could compete with a Mage.

Mana ability value for Malik is not just about it being higher being better, but it is an essential ability value that must be increased.

If the total amount of Mana increases even a little, he can unleash one more sword strike, which can lead to victory in battle. So, there was a high possibility that Malik was searching for this potion that increases Mana.

If the potion-filled mail safely reaches Malik, he will probably come visit the mansion.

It’s such an expensive potion.

A priceless item that cannot be converted into money.

If Malik comes to our house, I should ask for a few forest friend meal vouchers.

I put the potion aside and pulled out a sword that stuck out sharp from the bag.

A sword with a sharp blade wrapped in a pure white scabbard.

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Novice Sword [A+]

◈A sword for beginners, recently awakened Ora. It is made with a special ‘material’ that allows for more efficient use of Mana when Ora uses it.

[The Price of Efficiency]

Reduces mana consumption by 10%.

[Novice’s Protection]

Can use a sword with one charge of Overload when mana is depleted. (Once a day)

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This sword is a gift for Hanna.

It’s the sword Mihail used in the middle of the novel, the one I promised to gift in my heart when we parted last time.

I lifted the sword.

It was too light and its blade length was unsatisfactory for my use. Giving a sword with a dignified design and two additional abilities as a gift seemed like a waste, but it was a suitable sword for Hanna, a woman better suited for it than I.

Mihail is exceptionally talented, so he’ll grow without this, no need to worry. He’s not someone who obsesses over equipment, and he has exceptional talent, so this handicap is just fine for him to start with.

As I set aside the gifts for the Histania siblings, I felt an unusual gaze.

-Zigsi…

The lady was openly gazing at me as if pretending not to be interested, waiting for her gift from her bag.

“…”

Eyes filled with anticipation.

As I playfully avoided the lady’s gaze, I could hear her disappointment as she sighed deeply.

“I could’ve been in trouble if I hadn’t prepared something for her separately.”

Expecting this, I took out a necklace from the worn bag, offering an awkward smile.

She might like it.

“This is a gift for you, my lady.”

A necklace with a gold border and a red gem.

The lady’s eyes widened in delight when she saw the necklace.

“It looks… expensive.”

“It is indeed expensive.”

“Oh, oh, oh…”

The lady observed the necklace, letting the sunlight shine on it, turning it to the left and right, even trying to bite it.

I said to the lady who was examining it thoroughly, “You can try it on.”

“It’s dirty.”

“Gold isn’t dirty.”

“What nonsense are you talking about?”

“Ricardo, my mother used to say that. Shiny things are always right.”

Certainly.

I nodded my head. Shiny things are always right. Gold coins are like that, and gold is too, just like the lady with chocolate on her dress…

Anyway.

While the lady’s words are true, it’s not a clean act to break a necklace brought from a dusty dungeon.

Monsters could have played with it in the dungeon, or the original owner might have used it in a dirty way.

Quickly, I took the necklace from the lady’s hand and wiped the dust off with a white handkerchief.

“Anyway, it’s dirty.”

“No, it’s not.”

“Well, look.”

I showed the lady the blackened spot on the handkerchief.

“Ew.”

The lady frowned.

After rinsing her mouth with water, she fixed her gaze on the necklace.

“How much can I get for this?”

“You mean the necklace?”

Immediately asking about the price, this peculiar lady had a taste for material things, as if she were a noble.

I thought carefully about the lady’s question. Wanting to stand out on this occasion, I mixed a bit of truth and falsehood in my answer.

“Since it’s an artifact from a dungeon, I would say… 100,000 gold, perhaps?”

“Wow…! Would you go that high?”

“Is that acceptable?”

Upon hearing the price, the lady looked affectionately at the necklace.

“I like this.”

“I’m glad you do.”

The lady hesitated.

“Can I really have something this expensive?”

“She used to ride in even more expensive cars.”

“But still… This is expensive. It feels like it could buy ten years’ worth of beef.”

Since she became a beggar once, the lady had a proper sense of economy. It was impressive, but the moment he saw the necklace in the dungeon, he had already decided she would be the owner.

“It’s alright. It suits you, doesn’t it?”

“Really? Do you think so?”

“Yes. I thought you were a goddess.”

“hehehehe.”

She was a lady who laughed happily.

After wiping off the rust, I put the necklace around her neck.

With the splendid necklace hanging on her pure white neck, it certainly suited her. It was natural to say that since she was so beautiful and had a good origin, but seeing her looking so well with it, I couldn’t help but smile proudly.

“As expected, I did well to bring it.”

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Promise Necklace [A+]

◈ A necklace that was given as a gift by a man to his wife when he was conscripted into the war and had to part with her.

From Noble mtl dot com

“Let’s meet again.”

When the necklace’s string breaks, the contract and positions of the parties switch. (1 time)

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An artifact not mentioned in the novel, but a decent one I brought back for its useful abilities.

Since the lady liked it, I felt even better.

A moment of searching between the pages.

-Rustle.. Rustle.

Suddenly, the lady was rummaging through the bag.

Is my gift not enough?

As she buried her face in the dusty bag and rummaged, I blocked the entrance of the bag with an uneasy feeling.

“Ughhh!”

“Ricardo…! The bag’s swallowing me up!”

The struggling lady.

“Eek.”

Before any harsh words could escape the lady’s mouth, I opened the entrance of the bag that I had closed.

The lady, covered in dust, glared at me fiercely.

“Uh….”

A lady with dusty hair. I looked at the window and whistled.

“It seems the monster liked you, miss.”

“Lies. Ricardo said it.”

“Did you give yourself away?”

“Yeah.”

A moment of silence passed, and the lady reached out to me with strength. She seemed to want to throw the gold coins she had brought from her bag.

“Such a feeble attack won’t work on me…”

I tried to turn my head and avoid it, but.

The lady grabbed my wrist instead of throwing the coins. Then she held out a gold bracelet from her bag.

“This is Ricardo’s.”

“Are you saying it’s mine?”

“Yeah.”

The lady smiled brightly. Flipping the dust off her hair and showing an innocent smile, I felt a sudden warmth.

The lady held my right wrist.

And just as she was about to fill the bracelet herself.

The lady froze and stiffened her body.

“Ricardo.”

“Yes?”

The lady spoke while looking at my right sleeve.

With a questioning expression and eyes full of resentment, I didn’t know the reason.

“You wrapped your hand with a bandage, didn’t you?”

“Uh…”

I awkwardly laughed and said to the lady.

“Because you don’t like tattoos.”

The lady spoke firmly.

“But now I like them.”

“I am sorry for my embarrassment.”

The lady said to me.

“I’m bad.”

I was the one who received hatred again today.