The Final Chapter of "A Certain Evil Woman's Sad Love Story"
The final chapter of 'A Certain Evil Woman's Sad Love Story' begins.
I opened my eyes to the dawn. It was the capital's square.
In the drizzling rain falling from the sky at dawn, Olivia slowly opened her tightly shut eyes in the square.
The clock tower towering over the fountain pointed to 5 a.m.
Haaa... give it a rest already...
Olivia swept her face with trembling hands and scanned her surroundings.
Enough already... Stop.
This has to be good enough by now.
It looked no different from the present—if you ignored the early morning hour and the dawn quiet. A peaceful square, one she had often visited with Ricardo, bustling with shops in the capital.
Olivia looked around with trembling eyes. She didn't know what illusion would torment her this time, or how much pain Ricardo would suffer from her evil deeds.
She suppressed her pounding heart, gripped by fear.
It wasn't me.
And then.
It was me.
As the two clashing emotions churned in Olivia's eyes, a familiar blue window began its tale in a low voice.
- Two months have passed.
- The bare minimum of goodwill toward you has vanished, and your reputation has crumbled beyond the reach of your family's power.
- In Ricardo's absence, Yuria's social circle has gradually widened. Those who bullied her and those who protected her now share a single common enemy: you.
- Poisoning. Sabotage. Ostracism. Arson. And so on.
- All the evil deeds Ricardo had shielded you from became your doing, and even those you didn't commit got buried under your infamy.
- To the point where students whisper, "Olivia must be behind this one too."
- You are ruined.
- Fighting a desperate battle alone, with no allies to lean on.
No one listened to your pleas of "It wasn't me."
- Now, with nowhere left to retreat.
- Your final, desperate chapter begins.
['Prologue' begins.]
At the end of her heart-pounding like it might burst, a racket echoed from behind her.
- Clunk... screeech... clunk...!
Olivia turned, and her eyes caught sight of a red-haired man emerging with the creaking noise.
From a dark alley, he pushed his wheelchair forward, battling through the pouring rain without an umbrella.
The moment Olivia saw the man, she lunged forward.
Ricardo...!
Of course, her helping hand was blocked by the blue window's cold text.
[Observer's Point of View.]
*
- I wonder if the pharmacy's open yet...!
Ricardo, awake early in the morning, pushed his wheels vigorously.
Ignoring the rain, he steadfastly wheeled through the empty bustling streets, navigating the slippery surface.
His ungloved hands were covered in small scratches, and his clothes grew heavy with rain.
Olivia bowed her head.
Stay home... you idiot.
She could do nothing. Her resolve broken by the blue window's firm refusal of any action, Olivia merely placed her hand over Ricardo's head, wishing the rain would spare him.
Of course, it was futile.
The blue window began explaining Ricardo's wandering.
- Ricardo went out to get medicine. The pain squeezing his heart grew worse as his life neared its end.
- Now, without medicine, he couldn't endure. Dragging his ailing body, Ricardo resolved to venture on an adventure.
- His body could give out at any moment.
Ricardo pushed his wheels with vigor, a clear smile on his face as he moved his hands.
- Feeling good today.
The dry smile at the corner of his lips, like that of someone enlightened, was one Olivia knew was false.
His lips were cracked, his skin parched. The gentle smile he gave her was gone, replaced by one of total resignation, squeezing her heart in agony.
- Clunk...!
- Screeeeech!! Crash!
- Whoa... hold on...!
He toppled over from too much force, but even then, Ricardo flashed a bright smile, struggling to get up.
No one around in the early dawn to see his pathetic state.
He could take his time rising slowly.
- Got to move fast when no one's watching.
Ricardo muttered softly.
- Don't want the young miss seeing me like this... embarrassing.
'...Not embarrassing.'
Recalling her past words, Ricardo sprawled on the ground, straining to right his fallen wheelchair.
Pacing like a hunted man, hands shaking as he lifted it, struggling desperately with his unmoving legs.
What made him like this? Olivia thought she couldn't answer.
It wasn't someone else or an accident—it was her fault alone.
Time passed, and Ricardo stopped at a shabby pharmacy at a capital street corner.
Hood pulled low, in the quiet street where no one came, he stared at his watch like a drenched rat, drying his face wearily to shake off the gloom.
- Haa... fuck.
A faint tremor stirred in Ricardo's body once more.
- This close and now this? Come on.
Drip. Red blood fell from his dry-washing hands.
On the rainy street, his blood mixed with rainwater and vanished without trace.
His face began to soak in blood. A grotesque sight.
His wretched, bloodied face washed endlessly by rain that erased his traces, as if ensuring no one could find him.
Ten minutes. Twenty passed.
Drenched to the bone, Ricardo bowed his head and murmured lowly.
- Let's head back.
Gazing at the unopened pharmacy door, he turned with a bitter smile.
- Can't pass out here...
He shook his head.
- Would look awful.
Having pushed through the rainy street with effort, Ricardo sighed, reaching for his wheelchair wheels to turn away.
And then.
- What are you doing out here right now?
A stranger woman's hand touched Ricardo's shoulder. His body froze like ice.
Olivia's eyes froze too, clinging to a faint hope it might be her.
He slowly lifted his bowed head.
And.
- Ah... haha.
Olivia cursed her obliviousness and bowed her head.
- You...
It wasn't her holding Ricardo's shoulder—it was Yuria. Olivia despaired.
Yuria, who had tossed her umbrella and run over, panted as she stared at him.
- Huff... huff...
Why...
Olivia sighed, bowing at the illusion defying her wishes.
Not me?
I wish it was me. If you'd noticed even now, it might've been a little better.
She bowed her head slowly.
Why... Can't you take my side just once? Showing me this... Can't you side with me at least once! You're always too late...!
Olivia screamed at the blue window, but it offered no reply, merely repeating the same words.
[Observer's Point of View.]
- Cannot interfere with the target.
Yuria's voice pierced the falling rain.
- I'm asking what you're doing out here!
Her furious shout at Ricardo made her golden eyes flash.
Divine Eye.
The moment Yuria's blessed talent scanned Ricardo's body, her pupils trembled violently.
- Huh...? What is...
Her foolish question echoed through the rain.
Faced with the horrific state she'd never seen, Yuria couldn't breathe.
To the silent Yuria came a small voice. Ricardo's soft tone, not demanding an answer, gently eased her rigid body.
- Shh.
Ricardo gave an awkward smile and a shy wink.
Not fitting for blood-smeared lips, yet he winked clumsily at Yuria, gazing at her.
- I tripped on the way...
- Don't talk nonsense!!!
Yuria cried out with a rough tremor.
- What...! Why are you doing this again.
Her bewildered hands flailed, unsure where to start—or realizing it was beyond repair.
Still, Ricardo smiled the same, pressing a finger to his lips again.
- Pretend you saw nothing, Miss Yuria.
Yuria didn't hear. Overwhelmed by shock, her hands just shook.
Unable to act, she stared blankly at Ricardo in helpless daze. He gave a small smile and repeated his usual words to her.
- It's just punishment for my bad deeds.
- You know, right? That I'm a bad person.
- So... cough...!
- So this is my punishment.
Blood dripped from his trembling hand. Yuria bowed her head and said to him.
- It's because of Olivia.
- Haha... no.
- That woman's fault you're like this.
- No, really.
Yuria spoke coldly to Ricardo.
- One week.
- ...
- In one week, Olivia's disciplinary committee meets.
- I see.
- I...
Yuria stared at Ricardo with cold eyes.
- Can't forgive Olivia. Or you.
- I know.
- So...!
Yuria rubbed her eyes with her sleeve.
- So...!
She rubbed endlessly in the rain.
- Don't get hurt! Apologize to me...! Me too... me too...!
- I'm sorry.
Ricardo showed Yuria his irreverent smile and nodded.
Then, with a bitter smile, he said to her.
- I did my best, but it didn't reach. Sorry.
Wiping her tears, Yuria gripped the wheelchair handle roughly.
- Let's go.
- Where?
- Hospital. Get treated now.
- No. I know my body best.
After their back-and-forth, Yuria looked at Ricardo with complex emotions, defeated.
- Go... please.
- No.
- Please... just go.
- You know.
Ricardo softly asked the lingering Yuria.
- Why go this far?
- Who knows.
Ricardo gave a vacant smile and answered her.
- Fate, I guess. For the debt to the young miss I can never repay.
[Final Chapter. Climax begins.]
*
When I opened my eyes again...
- Why pick on me only! You're all the same!
The evil woman, veins bulging in her eyes, crouched down.
Her fearful, raised hands looked pathetic and wretched.
Surrounded by a crowd at the judgment stand, harsh words and curses rained down.
The moment she was pelted with rotten eggs and tomatoes...
- Ta-da.
A dark shadow fell gently over her.
- Touched?
As always, Ricardo in his butler's uniform stood as her shadow.
- Don't fall for me. For many reasons.