The Villain Wants to Live a Quiet Life

Tomorrow, he would have to bid her farewell.

Perhaps that’s why the brightly risen moon seemed dim today, and why the garden landscape felt blurry.

Lost in such thoughts, Ludwig nodded his head as he leaned on the balcony railing of the reception room.

‘I should sleep… but it’s difficult.’

He muttered to himself, his eyes widening at the heavily sunken voice that made him wonder if he had really spoken.

He tried to sleep with the help of alcohol, which he rarely drank, but his eyes refused to close.

He had stopped by the reception room simply because he couldn’t sleep at all after his rounds at the mansion.

Although he had experienced a few short and long partings in this world, it was the first time he felt so empty-hearted.

Of course, he could guess the reason. Even if he were a fool, he wasn’t so obtuse as to not notice his own feelings.

He just didn’t know what to do with this hollow feeling.

Ludwig is a man who dislikes depending on others by nature. This nature was present even when he wasn’t “Ludwig.”

But people’s hearts are called hearts because even their owners can’t control them.

The confusion in his inner self stemmed from this point.

“Haah…”

If he were to express his true feelings, it was clear that the desire to hold her back would occupy 90% of his thoughts.

It wasn’t simply because he would miss her, or because of guilt for only now realizing his feelings.

It was probably a vague fear. If the past is nostalgic and the present is enjoyable, then the future is frightening. Isn’t that what life is?

As his worries about himself were alleviated, new ones arose.

Thinking it was truly amusing but not in a bad sense, Ludwig drained the remaining contents of his glass.

‘Yes… I should send her off with a smile.’

Did that sip of wine include all of his worries and concerns?

Before a petal blown by the wind could roll on the garden floor, Ludwig smiled as if shaking it all off and placed the empty glass on the table.

– Knock knock.

“Come in.”

It was safe to assume that there were hardly any people who would knock on the reception room door this late.

Nevertheless, he responded to the knock as if he knew who was on the other side.

“Young Master, it’s time to prepare for bed…”

“Nagging at this hour… want to join me for a drink?”

“Thank you, but I’ll have to decline as I still have work left.”

Paula appeared with her sky-blue hair all loose.

This was her usual appearance when her duties as a personal maid were over.

She had been doing miscellaneous tasks in her room and hurriedly followed him after hearing his footsteps, so she didn’t have time to tie it up.

“Go back and get some sleep. I’ll clean up the rest.”

“I can’t leave you alone at this hour, Young Master.”

“It’s because it’s late that I want to be alone. I wouldn’t say this normally.”

Sometimes one wants to be alone, inhaling the dawn air and lost in thought.

That was all Ludwig wanted, but for Paula, who was strict about her work, it seemed difficult to simply nod in agreement.

“But…”

“Alright, alright. If I say more, I’ll just look like the bad guy.”

It wasn’t as if a maid had an obligation to always be by his side, and it would be unusual to disobey an order to leave him alone.

But Ludwig, who regarded her more as a sworn sister than a maid, didn’t want to say such things.

Perhaps it was easier to give in. Although he wasn’t sure if this was befitting his position as a master, aren’t people’s values all different?

Ludwig smiled wryly and ignored her words, leaning back on the railing.

Paula stared at him for a moment, then slowly approached him from behind and spoke in a low voice.

“You seem worried about Miss Emilia.”

The title had become established at Emilia’s request. He thought it now felt more familiar this way.

More than that, what he couldn’t get used to was her quick perception.

Her ability to always pinpoint his weak spots with just a glance.

“There’s no point in hiding it from you. You’re right.”

“What kind of worry is it?”

“Well, it’s vague, so it’s hard to put into words.”

Vague.

No other way of expressing it came to mind. It was just that.

Perhaps worries are deeper and more difficult because they’re not specific. He was a perfect example of this right now.

“Why don’t you hold her back?”

“That’s unlike you to say.”

The words that suddenly came out of her mouth were uncharacteristic of Paula.

Pushing her own opinion without considering someone else’s circumstances was far removed from her usual understanding and considerate self.

Of course, there were many exceptions when it came to Ludwig.

Perhaps she was a bit surprised by her own words.

Paula blinked her eyes at his comment, seeming to reflect on her own actions, then hurriedly retracted her words and apologized.

“That was out of line. I’m sorry, Young Master.”

“No, you aren’t wrong. I did want to hold her back.”

He pointed it out simply because it was surprising.

As he waved his hand dismissively, Paula raised her lowered head and observed his mood.

He maintained his usual leisurely, peaceful atmosphere.

However, the color of that air might have changed slightly. That was her impression.

“When a friend is leaving to better herself, it would be too narrow-minded to not send her off with a smile, wouldn’t it?”

“As a friend, shouldn’t that level of indulgence be allowed?”

“Conversely, there are also whims that shouldn’t be indulged precisely because we are friends.”

His words were the very essence of sound argument. That’s why Paula couldn’t refute them.

More precisely, rather than being unable to, it felt like she shouldn’t.

She hesitated at this first-ever display from the master she had sworn to serve.

The Ludwig she remembered always enjoyed life as it flowed, and seemed detached even in his relationships with people.

It was rare for him to wrap himself in a shell like today, creating distance as if asking not to say more.

That’s why she hesitated to comfort or persuade him.

Especially because she had watched him longer than anyone else, aside from his parents.

The more familiar the relationship, the greater the sense of discomfort when discovering an unseen side for the first time.

“So leave it be. I’ve decided to stop worrying.”

“…I understand. If that is your wish, Young Master.”

Noticing that his words carried multiple meanings, she bowed her head slightly and added nothing more.

As he turned around, maintaining his silence, Paula reached out her hand carefully behind his back but then withdrew it.

Perhaps this was the first time her master had felt so distant.

To the extent that the moon in the night sky felt closer.

She bit her lip lightly and took a step back.

This distance felt right. After all, that’s how the relationship between master and servant should be.

The risen moon hid its face behind clouds again.

She had always thought of her master when she saw the moon, but today she felt like she was seeing a reflection of herself.

Was it just her mood? Or a change of heart? She wasn’t sure.

 *          *          *          *          *          *          *

Ludwig, having stayed up all night, went to see Emilia off, albeit with quite a haggard face.

The peculiar thing was that, as with their first meeting, he was the only member of the household who had come out to the carriage to send her off.

Carl and Diana had left the territory a couple of days ago, having been invited to a ball.

“I’m sorry, Emilia. Somehow it’s become a repeat of that time.”

“Don’t apologize, Ludwig. I actually like it. It feels strangely nostalgic.”

What could she mean by nostalgic, he wondered.

He was about to ask but hesitated, smiling as if he could easily guess.

He felt a strange emotion too, after all.

On the day he first saw her off, he felt regret, but at that time, he also had a slight desire for her to leave quickly so he could sort out his confused thoughts.

But what about the current situation? It was he who had been restless, caught up in his own delusions, until just yesterday.

This is why time was truly amazing.

Back then, it was Emilia who was leaving with sadness, but now it was Ludwig who was restless about sending her off.

Time has such a profound yet invisible impact on people’s relationships and bonds.

“Didn’t Paula come out?”

“She said it wasn’t her place. She’d wait in the garden, watering the flowers…”

“That’s a shame. Although I did say goodbye to her…”

Emilia had a rough idea of why Paula couldn’t come out here but didn’t voice it.

Similarly, her own maid Greta had boarded the carriage first, allowing for time between the two of them.

Although the reasons may slightly differ.

“It’s regrettable that I’m sending you off without being able to do anything properly because it was so sudden.”

“Ludwig… I told you, didn’t I?”

“I know. Let’s end it here, I don’t want to be scolded anymore.”

Although he was letting out a soft laugh, she could vaguely sense that there was still a piece of unshaken regret in his voice.

“A flower that only receives water will wither. Sometimes, it’s the flower that has experienced many journeys, facing wind and sunlight, that finally blooms.”

Although she wasn’t good with words, she tried to comfort him and alleviate his sadness as much as possible by using a flower metaphor, which he liked.

But in his eyes, which were listening to her words as usual, there was still a thin thread of worry floating.

Was this not enough? As she was thinking this, he opened his mouth, taking out a small paper envelope from his pocket.

“You said it yourself, Emilia. You’re not a flower, but a friend.”

“Ah…”

“Even if it’s a journey for your own future, don’t think me foolish for not being able to simply bless your difficult steps.”

That’s right. Those were my words.

Indeed, I must become a fool when I stand before you. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have been born a goldfish unable to remember her own words.

You’re not sad about me leaving.

You just despise yourself for not being able to lend any strength to your friend’s new journey.

‘Just… a friend…?’

Is it because of your boundless consideration?

Or is it just because you regard me as a childhood friend?

What color does that shard of emotion stuck in the corner of your heart have?

If possible, I wish it were similar to the color of the fragment I’ve hidden deep in my heart. Such a thought suddenly occurred to me.

What awakened my consciousness, which had sunk deep into the abyss at that moment, was his voice.

Ludwig held out the paper envelope he had just taken out of his pocket.

It was quite rough and thick, but I couldn’t guess what contents it might have.

“It’s a letter, Emilia.”

“What? This thick thing… is a letter?”

The stack of papers she received was as thick as a short book.

To hand over such a volume and call it a letter.

Emilia looked back and forth between him and the paper envelope that had lost its function as a letter, tilting her head in bewilderment.

“It’s a letter, but… I just wrote down some things I couldn’t say. Open it if you get bored during your journey.”

“Things you couldn’t say…?”

“Just miscellaneous things. About the books I’ve read that you asked about, stories I heard from my parents when I was young, and interesting sights I’ve seen. They’re all written in there.”

Only then did Emilia seem to guess what was written in the letter he handed her, letting out a small exclamation and gripping it tightly so as not to drop it.

As he said, they were probably trivial stories.

Not words of blessing for her martial arts training, nor plausible maxims left by ancient sages, nor sentences to strengthen her resolve during hard training.

Just those stories, nothing more.

“…Thank you, Ludwig. I’m happier with this than any other gift.”

“If you think so, then I’m glad too.”

But these were the things she had hoped for.

There were many things Emilia hadn’t heard from Ludwig. And there were still many stories she hadn’t been able to tell him.

If asked what she regretted most before setting out on her journey, this would be at the top of the list.

By reading this letter, even if she couldn’t tell him her stories, she could hear his, being able to fill, even if only halfway, the diary in her heart that was still incomplete.

‘How does he know my heart so well? Even I often don’t know my own heart when it’s confused. How do you do it?’

“I always seem to be on the receiving end from you.”

“Don’t think like that. We’re friends, aren’t we?”

Crack. Her eyebrow twitched briefly at the word “friends.”

The word that had felt warm until just now suddenly felt incredibly unsatisfying.

That friend this, this friend that. Was he trying to draw a line or what? It wouldn’t do much good to draw one now, but she felt inexplicably annoyed.

Wasn’t there some way to get revenge?

Somehow feeling like she was losing, Emilia searched her surroundings thoroughly like a predator looking for prey.

In the process, his hands, thin and delicate like a woman’s, caught her eye.

A mischievous smile formed.

“What’s the use of just receiving… Ludwig, will you give me your hand for a moment?”

“My hand…?”

“Yes. If possible, please close your eyes.”

Suddenly, why the hand? Asking to close his eyes, is she planning to place a gift on it?

Ludwig unconsciously held out his hand with the palm facing outward.

“Ah, with the back of your hand .”

“Alright…”

The back of the hand? An even more unpredictable request.

But as it felt odd to resist, Ludwig obediently turned his palm over so the back of his hand faced outward.

Emilia, who had been staring at this scene, gently took his hand and then brought her face close, pressing her lips to the back of his hand.

Ludwig hurriedly opened his eyes, his face turning bright red as he spoke.

“E-Emilia!? That just now…!”

“Hehe, it’s payback. I’m confident I won’t forget Ludwig, but you might forget me, right?”

Holding the stack of papers tightly like a treasure, she turned around and approached the carriage.

“I hope you stay well.”

“…That’s my line. Please come back safely, Emilia.”

Emilia nodded vigorously for him to see and finally boarded the carriage.

As the coachman cracked his whip towards the horses, the carriage began to move after a while.

When her hair fluttering outside the window faded off into the distance, Ludwig turned back towards the mansion.

It was a story from the time when the red tulips blooming throughout the garden were gradually bowing their heads, and the gloxinias were slowly beginning to bud.

translator’s corner

and off she goes -w-