The Villainess Whom I Had Served for 13 Years Has Fallen

Chapter 284

A Blue Window appeared, and shortly after.

Hanna, sitting alone on a bench, began to see strange phrases. They weren’t the usual neat phrases displayed by the Blue Window but rather crooked handwriting, as if written by someone directly.

It appeared before Hanna’s eyes.

[During the quest, you may temporarily use ???'s power once.]

Upon reading the phrase, Hanna bit her lip.

There was nowhere to run.

So.

Knowing it was the worst choice, she went to her father. Even if the choice she made brought about the worst possible outcome.

Hanna had no regrets.

*

At the sound of someone visiting his office, Rowen’s eyelids trembled. The person who had once said they’d never return was now standing before him.

He couldn’t help but be surprised.

The visitor standing in front of him greeted Rowen in a cold voice. It had been a long time.

"It’s been a while, Father."

Histania Hanna.

She had left her family—not because she hated the household, but because she hated herself.

Looking at Hanna holding a sharp sword, Rowen spoke. There were many things he wanted to ask, but for now, he simply wanted to call her name.

"Yes, it’s been a while, Histania Hanna."

"Yes, Father, it’s me."

Hanna forced a smile as she looked at Rowen. At the reluctant smile of his daughter, Rowen’s hands trembled slightly. Because the meaning behind that smile was far from good. Rowen let out a bitter sigh.

'Why now, of all times?' The thought flashed through Rowen’s mind. He wasn’t prepared for this moment.

Stubborn and unready to accept things, he thought of himself as still an immature fool who knew nothing.

He realized something was wrong, but without the mental readiness, the only side of himself he could show his daughter was his true, unpolished self.

All he could do was sigh.

Rowen gripped his liquor glass and looked at Hanna.

Hollow eyes.

A pale complexion.

The blue-glowing sword in her hand.

She didn’t look like the timid, fearful daughter he once knew. Instead, she seemed resolute, yet unstable, as if she might collapse at any moment.

Rowen forced his tightly sealed lips to open and spoke to Hanna.

"There’s much I want to say, but let me point this out first."

"You’re pointing something out to your daughter who’s visiting after so long...?"

"Right and wrong must be made clear."

Rowen let out a deep sigh and spoke to Hanna.

"Who told you to bring a sword into the office? I don’t recall teaching you such manners."

Hanna, who had been standing still for a long time, glanced at the sword reflecting the moonlight and let out a dry laugh.

"If I was never taught, how could I follow?"

"What...?"

"Never mind. Today, I just wanted to rebel a little."

"Histania Hanna. You know that if I sought legal punishment, you wouldn’t escape severe consequences."

"That’s disappointing. No matter what, I’m still your child... Never mind. Fine..."

Without any change in her expression, Hanna spoke to Rowen.

"I’m sorry. Foolish me has made another mistake."

"...Be more careful next time."

"By the way."

In a small voice, Hanna murmured toward Rowen.

"In the end, whether I wield the Holy Sword or the Demon Sword, it doesn’t matter to you, does it? You can just discard me."

"...Histania Hanna."

"Am I wrong?"

Hanna sneered as she spoke to Rowen.

"What could I possibly do?"

Rowen clenched his fist. He wanted to ask why she was speaking so aggressively. He had been trying his best to be courteous, yet Hanna’s sharp tone made Rowen almost blurt out, 'Shut your mouth.'

"Hoo..."

Letting out a sigh, Rowen revealed his true feelings in response to Hanna’s words.

"I didn’t mean it that way. You’re my daughter..."

"What am I, then?"

"You...!"

Hanna looked directly at Rowen and asked.

"What am I, really? In this household, to you, what am I, who isn’t even treated as a person?"

"You are my daughter."

"...I’ve thought about it a lot. Who am I? Why do I have to be treated like this? Even though I showed the talent you so desperately wanted, why can’t I be acknowledged?"

"..."

"Do you know, Father? Why I have to be treated this way?"

"It’s all for your..."

"What exactly is for my sake...?"

Biting her trembling lip, Hanna spoke to Rowen. What exactly is this 'daughter' you desire?

"What is for my sake, and why do you speak as if you understand everything?"

The visit from the daughter who had once severed ties had been a welcome surprise to Rowen. He never thought she would come back on her own.

But.

Seeing Hanna trembling with clenched fists and spewing harsh words, Rowen could only bow his head.

He still hadn’t changed.

Even though he knew he was wrong, he couldn’t bring himself to say the words his daughter wanted to hear.

He still hadn’t let go of his stubbornness.

His heart still couldn’t be easily controlled.

Hanna continued to hurl harsh words at Rowen, as if she wanted to end everything here and now.

"Why do I...!"

"..."

"Why did I have to be treated like this...? Did I commit an unforgivable sin against you? Did I disgrace the household’s name? No, I didn’t. No, I didn’t!!! All I did was shed blood and sweat to ensure I wouldn’t bring shame to this household! To the name of Father! Why did you do this to me...!"

Hanna bit her lips until they turned blue and spat curses at Rowen. Words that should never be spoken to one’s father.

"You might as well have just abandoned me."

"..."

"If you had, I could have met that person sooner. Why did you even bother raising me?"

"Histania Hanna!!"

Unable to contain himself, Rowen shot up from his seat and shouted at Hanna’s reckless words. No matter how much hatred there was, there were lines a child should never cross with their parent.

"You’ve crossed the line."

Hanna clenched her fist.

"Then what about you, Father?"

At Hanna’s words, which fell in the silence, Rowen stopped in his tracks and looked at his reflection in the mirror.

‘Ah...’

A youthful body.

A flesh untouched by the passage of time.

The face of a man who seemed to have everything bore an emotion that could only be described as 'ugliness.'

It was filled with the very 'rationalizations' of the talentless that he had despised so much.

Confronted with the reality of his selfish, grasping nature, Rowen, his voice trembling, tried to make excuses to Hanna.

For the sake of always chasing victory.

"I... I did it for you..."

At Rowen’s stammering words, Hanna furrowed her brows.

"What exactly have you done for me, Father...?"

"I..."

"You taught my brother the sword, and you created an environment where my sister could learn it. But for me?"

Hanna questioned Rowen, asking why there was nothing in this situation that seemed to be for her.

"In my memory, Father, you were indifferent to me and did nothing for me. What exactly was for my sake...?"

"I only treated you harshly because I didn’t want you to waste your time. Just as all parents wish for their children to walk a good path, I also wanted that for you...!"

"Then you should have told me that at least once."

"...What?"

"Every day, all you said was 'Stop it,' 'You have no talent,' 'You swinging a sword is a disgrace to Histania.' Instead of that, you could have spent even ten minutes with me!"

Hanna spoke to Rowen in a trembling voice.

"If you had invested just ten minutes in me! If you had given me even one kind word... I wouldn’t have grown to hate you like this."

"...No. I—"

"Do you have any memories of having a one-on-one conversation with me?"

Hanna let out a hollow laugh and shook her head. Turning her head as if to hide the tears streaming down her face, she rubbed her eyes with trembling hands and spoke in a voice tinged with moisture.

"I don’t have any... Isn’t it funny? But you know what’s even funnier? I don’t have a single memory of laughing in this household."

"..."

"Pfft... Truly...."

-Haah...

"Isn’t it ridiculous?"

A blue window flickered before Hanna’s eyes.

[You can project 'Your Appearance' from the 72nd side story for a certain period of time.]

Not funny at all.

'It’s despairing.'

Every single moment of this.

The words spoken by the blue window with such certainty.

It felt as though the fragile wall of emotions she had painstakingly built was crumbling.

Because there was no room left for excuses.

Because of you, I fall again.

Because of you, I get hurt again.

Standing within the endless loop of this relationship, where I circle back to the same place every time, I felt so pathetic... And because it seemed like I had inflicted a deep wound on him within this cycle, I couldn’t even bring myself to laugh.

Within the story of the side story, I feared what choices I had made. I didn’t want to repeat such mistakes anymore.

So.

I wanted to break this cycle for good.

To the father I no longer wanted to see.

I wanted to give him one last chance.

And with the hope that he would seize that final chance, Hanna spoke to her father.

"Pick up your sword."

"..."

"This time, I’ll prove it."

Emotions gathered at the tip of the sword.

Not the emotion of killing intent.

But as if the dam of emotions that had built up over a long time had burst, the emotions swirling at the tip of the sword scattered violently.

Fierce.

Savage emotions.

An aura as dark as the night sky began to envelop Hanna's sword.

[The Curse of Arrogance begins to stir.]

In that moment, Rowen saw Hanna differently. The image of a woman holding a blood-soaked sword overlapped with Hanna in his eyes.

She looked exactly like Hanna.

But she was a woman who had walked a different path.

Suppressing her emotions, Hanna spoke to the trembling Rowen.

"I’ve tried so hard for you."

-I sacrificed so much for you.

"I gave up a warm nest."

-I abandoned the place beside the one I loved.

"I even wished I could die instead."

-I wished I could die in that cave.

"I despaired and cried countless times."

-I cursed you countless times.

"Hanna...?"

Hanna, lowering her head, spoke to Rowen.

"Pick up the sword. Right now."

-Ding.

[The 72nd Side Story - The 'Apostle of Arrogance' is projected onto Histania Hanna.]

And so, to Rowen.

A deep darkness descended.