The Secret She Sees in That Man -2-
[Viewing will begin in 10 minutes.]
10 Minutes Until Viewing Begins
It was a familiar room. Not her own room plastered with photos of Mikhail everywhere, but a plain one filled with simple furniture.
One year ago. It was the room Ricardo had used.
Olivia opened her eyes on the cold bedroom floor and let out a sigh.
"I really came back..."
She had returned to the past again.
At first, she thought she was going insane, but now she was starting to accept it. That she had come back to the past.
Whether it was punishment for her rotten life or a gift from the gods telling her to live kindly from now on, she didn't know. But resignation came before denial now.
Her hands trembled. The scenes she would soon witness flashed in her mind, cold sweat pouring from her palms without stop.
Olivia wiped the sweat on her dress.
I want to run away.
She looked down at her toes with eyes full of worry. Clean, pristine legs.
Olivia wiggled her toes.
"..."
It didn't feel welcome. If this were reality, she'd be jumping for joy, but even the first time, she'd bounced on the bed in excitement. Now, these moving legs felt unwelcome.
She wished they wouldn't move. If she squeezed her eyes shut and rolled over, it would all be over.
But...
"I have to watch. I can't just keep running away."
It was her choice. A bold decision born from not wanting to hide and pretend she didn't know.
Looking at her wriggling toes, Olivia mustered her courage and slowly sat up.
The time was 4:50 a.m. Ricardo lay on the bed, breathing evenly.
The butler slept in sky-blue pajamas covered in teddy bear patterns. Seeing Ricardo sleeping peacefully with his mouth open, Olivia gave a bittersweet smile.
"Sleep well."
He was sleeping so soundly it felt wrong to wake him. Olivia reached out and stroked Ricardo's red hair.
Observer's Viewpoint.
No interference with the target is possible.
"Of course."
Then or now, it was the same blue window that wouldn't let her touch his body.
"Haa..."
Olivia let out a long sigh.
The quiet mansion. On this day, only Ricardo and I were in the mansion.
All the servants had submitted their resignations. Because I had driven them out.
In the silent room shrouded in stillness, Olivia looked up toward the upper floor.
By now, her past self was probably activating the black magic. Giggling like a madwoman as she cast the spell.
And in about 10 more minutes, she would realize it had failed.
Olivia took a deep breath. Tension made her hands keep shaking.
There were still 10 minutes left. Sitting still would only make her more depressed, so Olivia stood and looked around the butler's room.
"It's been forever here too. That wardrobe, that table..."
The butler's room was ordinary. Not her current room remodeled from a dress storage, but the second-best room in the mansion, which the butler used.
The butler's room was the same as ever. Still clean. Well-organized. Filled with the fresh scent of lilacs. Just like Ricardo.
The room was immaculate. During the time she was estranged from Ricardo after being expelled from the academy, she hadn't come to his room, but he'd kept it like this.
Seeing Ricardo's room after so long brought back memories.
She touched the golden butler badge he'd bragged about becoming a real butler with. She fiddled with the academy uniform from old memories.
Captured by nostalgia, Olivia couldn't easily tear herself away.
Especially that table. On the table in the center of the room sat a chocolate cake from their usual dessert shop.
A chocolate cake untouched. A fork placed neatly beside it, waiting for its owner.
Olivia stopped in her tracks. It seemed prepared knowing she'd come to his room after blowing off steam...
She clenched her fists.
"Idiot."
Olivia sat beside the soundly sleeping Ricardo. She lifted the blanket covering him.
With a faint hope. A sliver of expectation.
A bad thought, but if his hand was already injured from this point, maybe the past she'd witness ahead wouldn't hurt quite as much.
It was a wicked idea, but she wanted to ease even a little of the guilt piling up in her heart. Otherwise... she really wouldn't be able to face Ricardo.
His wounds had looked so painful, and just thinking about them choked her.
She gently lifted the blanket.
Ricardo's body came into view slowly. A clean body without scars. And pristine arms.
Olivia's strength drained, and she bowed her head. It was too clean. Like blank drawing paper with nothing written on it.
"What... what do I do..."
She felt like she was going mad. She wished someone would come and tell her it was a dream. That it was just a nightmare. To wake up quickly.
But her heart pounding like crazy told her it wasn't a dream.
Olivia murmured as she stroked Ricardo's hair.
"Is it because of me? ...Then what really do I do."
As the ticking seconds passed, Olivia's heart pounded fiercely.
The minute hand moved relentlessly toward the promised time, and her chest throbbed harder.
Time was 4:59. The moment had come.
Viewing begins.
Tock.
"-Yaaawn... Slept well... huh?"
Waking with a lazy yawn, Ricardo groped for the water glass on the nightstand, then muttered to himself with trembling eyes.
"-What the hell is this."
Staring into empty space, Ricardo tilted his head.
"-Huh...?"
Ricardo cursed.
"-Fuck!"
Bam.
Without a moment's hesitation, Ricardo jumped out of bed and bolted toward the door. He flung it open, breaking every butlerly virtue he'd ever preached, and ran up to the second floor.
"-Fuck... fuck...!"
The butler's urgent footsteps echoed up the stairs with rough curses.
Olivia followed behind, panting heavily. Her stamina was so poor, and she wasn't used to walking.
Ricardo vanished from sight in an instant.
"Huff... huff...! Wait up..."
-Thud crash..!
The sound of tumbling down the stairs came.
Thud roll... Ricardo tumbled down the stairs. A dull crack of bone breaking sounded, but he gritted his teeth, grabbed the railing, and stood.
Even as he fell, eyes fixed on the second floor, Ricardo dashed desperately toward one door with trembling eyes.
"-Please. Please... please, miss!"
I couldn't keep up. Not in spirit, nor in body.
Ricardo ran like a child hearing news of their parents' death. Clutching my bursting heart, I chased after him.
At the door, Ricardo gasped for breath.
No Entry.
Especially Ricardo. No knocking allowed.
"-Hoo..."
Letting out a deep sigh, Ricardo knocked.
"-Miss. It's Ricardo."
No answer came. Of course not. She'd cast silence magic over the entire room. No sound from inside could escape, and none from outside could enter.
Ricardo pounded on the door roughly.
"-Miss."
No answer.
Ricardo hammered the door with his fist. Desperately wishing it would reach, grinding his teeth at the silent response.
"-I'm coming in."
Crack. The door opened.
At the finally open door, Ricardo stood frozen as if time had stopped. Unable to enter, unable to scream. Just trembling, pale-faced, stuttering.
"-M-Miss?"
Ricardo said in a quivering voice. Looking into the room with rising black smoke. Calling to his past self with shaking pupils.
I covered my nose. A strange smell. The putrid stench of rotting flesh. My stomach churned.
Ricardo spoke again.
"-Lady Olivia?"
His hands shook as he peered beyond the door, calling her name in a voice like he might cry.
I squeezed between and peeked inside. My body stiffened just like Ricardo's.
What...?
The floor charred black. White ashes scattered. Moonlight leaking through the curtains pitifully illuminated a woman crouched in the center.
A woman dyed black all over, blood flowing from wounds everywhere. It was herself. The villainess from one year ago.
Her form so mangled it was unrecognizable as a noble lady. Body turned black. Reeking foully.
That's me?
Tear stains covered her face. Blood trickled from bitten lips to endure the pain. The past me, curled up groaning, saw Ricardo at the door and spoke in a dying voice. Arms outstretched, hoarse.
"-It's... Mikhail."
"-You're busy... sorry."
"-But Mikhail... it hurts so much..."
"-It hurts so, so much... I really hurt..."
Ricardo's expression hardened coldly. From the moment "Mikhail" left her mouth.
His face stiff, he strode into the room.
Looking at her collapsed on the floor, he thought.
Crazy bitch.
Really...
A crazy bitch.
Love? What the fuck is love worth? Calling Mikhail's name right here?
And Ricardo, why do you have that face?
Biting her lip tight at the sight of Ricardo striding in, Olivia clenched her fists.
Ricardo said to her on the floor.
"Yes..." More gently than ever.
"It's Mikhail."
Pretending to be Mikhail himself, he pulled her into his arms.
I knew how much Ricardo hated Mikhail. He couldn't stand being near him, hated even saying his name.
Because of Mikhail, I was ruined.
I knew that Ricardo well. Knew he loathed Mikhail.
Yet here he was, hugging her tightly with a relieved expression, deceiving her as Mikhail.
Hnng... ha... no... it's not Mikhail...
It hurt like her heart was tearing apart.
Ricardo held her, patting her back soothingly.
The past me smiled brightly in his arms. And foolishly said,
"-It's Mikhail..."
"-Mikhail..."
Ricardo held her broken form gently.
"Yes... I was too late, wasn't I?"
Like handling fragile glasswork that might shatter at a touch. Softly,
"I'll make it stop hurting now. Miss."
Ricardo's pajamas began to stain red.