Not the Villainess, but the Maid

Chapter 36: The Great Milk Hunt! (2)

"Do you want a hole in your stomach, or will you obediently follow?"

My head was spinning.

Since my possession, I had faced many crises, but this was the first time my life was directly threatened.

‘What should I do? Should I use magic?’

If I used Solar Flare to blind him, I might have enough time to escape, but the problem was Momo.

She was being held by a man who was threatening her with a knife, so I couldn’t act recklessly.

For now, I pretended to follow his orders, raising my hands slowly and stepping forward.

With every step I took, countless thoughts raced through my mind.

Right now, I didn’t even have the strength to protect my own life, let alone rescue Momo.

Ruby's words from before echoed in my head.

[Amber, you're too weak.]

‘…’

She was right.

Even in this dire situation, I was secretly hoping for someone to save me.

But there was no one here to help me.

By the time I reached the man, he roughly spun me around and restrained my hands.

"Obedient, aren’t you? I like that."

"…"

"Too bad you’re a commoner, but I can find another use for you."

The man pressed down on me with his arm as he began to tie my hands.

-Splash!

"What the hell?!"

A strong jet of water suddenly hit the man directly in his eyes.

The man stumbled back, disoriented, clutching his face.

‘Who was that?’

I turned to the direction the water had come from and saw a girl in a school uniform trembling with fear, her hands shaking violently.

‘Clara…?’

The one who had helped me was none other than Clara, the villainess.

I didn’t know why she helped me, but I instinctively knew this was my chance to escape.

"My eyes, damn it…!"

The man, still blinded by the powerful jet of water, staggered backward, swearing loudly.

There was a clear opening for at least one punch.

-Spark!

I enveloped my hand in electricity and assumed a striking stance.

What I was about to do wasn’t exactly magic but a mix of magic and physical attack.

I mentally shouted the name of the improvised technique as I punched him.

‘Thunder Punch!’

Of course, this move wasn’t in the original story.

Where did I aim?

Normally, vital spots like the solar plexus or philtrum are the usual targets.

But as someone who had been a man before possession, I knew exactly where to aim.

There was only one place to go for.

"Urgh…!"

My electrically charged fist sank into something soft and yielding, and the man crumpled to the ground.

Though the punch itself wasn’t particularly powerful, a vital spot was still a vital spot.

The fact that he collapsed, foaming at the mouth, suggested it caused significant pain.

"You crazy girl, fighting back like this…!"

I didn’t have the luxury of celebrating my successful attack.

Another man, enraged by the sight of his fallen comrade, threw Momo aside and swung his knife at me.

‘…!’

Just by his muscles and build, it was obvious this man was much stronger than the one I had just taken down.

Sensing the danger, I quickly cast another spell.

‘Solar Flare!’

A blinding light burst from my body, causing the man to instinctively squeeze his eyes shut.

"Argh…!"

With his vision blocked, he began flailing his knife wildly.

Thanks to my training with Amethyst, I was already adept at dodging.

‘I can avoid this!’

His clumsy, enraged slashes didn’t stand a chance of hitting me.

My evasion rate was incredibly high at this point.

I dodged his erratic attacks with ease, and then Clara’s voice came from behind me.

"Amber, duck!"

"What?"

-Whoosh!

I quickly crouched down, and a volley of magic projectiles flew over me.

Clara's group, hiding in the bushes, unleashed their strongest spells on the man.

"Urgh…!"

Realizing the threat of the onslaught, the man stopped swinging his knife and switched to a defensive stance.

"Shit, there were more of them?!"

Realizing he was heavily outnumbered, he kicked his fallen comrade and yelled.

"Get up, you idiot…! We need to run!"

"Y-yes, boss…!"

Without looking back, the two men fled the scene.

As their figures disappeared, I let out a sigh of relief.

"…Phew."

Once again, I was reminded of how fortunate it was that only women could use magic in this world.

If those men had been able to use magic, they would have attacked us with it.

The thought of facing a blade still made my heart race.

After catching my breath, I noticed Clara and her group slumped on the ground.

Momo, still draped in a black cloth, looked bewildered.

Wanting to clarify the situation, I approached Clara and asked.

"Clara, were you the one who sent me that threatening letter?"

"…"

She still seemed to be trembling from the earlier fear.

Clara hugged her arms as if trying to steady her shaking shoulders, then glared at me with a resigned expression and confessed her crimes.

"…Yes, I planned it all."

"…"

I couldn’t sense the same malice from her as before.

"…The others aren’t involved. They only acted because I forced them to. Report me to the student council or tell Ruby, do as you wish."

Judging by the circumstances, she was indeed a villainess.

Her past actions certainly deserved no forgiveness.

But the fact remained that I wouldn’t have survived earlier without her help.

"Let’s just leave it at this."

"…What?"

"You saved me, so let’s consider it even and move on."

"What are you saying…?"

I could feel her staring at me like I was insane.

"If Clara hadn’t stepped in back then, I wouldn’t have been able to do anything."

It was her magic that gave me the chance to counterattack when I had been frozen in fear.

"…You, after everything you’ve been through…"

As I quietly looked at Clara, she lowered her head deeply.

"And if Clara gets expelled, who’s going to fill the club's roster?"

"…I don’t understand you. You’re the epitome of stupidity."

Her expression grew complicated, as if struggling to comprehend my actions.

Seeing her look so fragile, like she might crumble any moment, I turned my gaze slightly away.

"Pull yourself together. I’ll see you tomorrow. I’ll take the cat back with me."

Milk, freed from the carrier, leaped into my arms and started licking my face.

"Meow—"

"You must be hungry. Let’s go eat."

As I held Milk in my arms and walked back, complicated thoughts crossed my mind.

What consequences Clara's actions today might bring later…

‘I don’t know.’

I decided to explain this incident to the student council at a slow pace.

After that, I just wanted to go back to my room and soak in hot water.

After Amber left with the cat, Clara removed the sack that had been covering Momo’s head.

"Phew…!"

Finally freed and able to breathe fresh air, Momo asked.

"I thought I’d suffocate. What on earth just happened earlier…?"

But instead of answering, Clara pulled Momo into a tight hug.

"…!"

Surprised by the sudden embrace, Momo stammered awkwardly.

"…L-Lady Clara?"

"It’s a relief you’re safe."

Normally, Clara would berate and boss her around, so this was truly unusual.

"I’m fine, Lady Clara. I didn’t get hurt at all."

"…"

Clara held her tightly for a long time before quietly letting her go and speaking.

"…Let’s call it a day. Everyone must be tired."

"Yes…"

That day, as they returned to the dormitory, they walked in complete silence.

The night sky had grown dark.

After their earlier failure, the two men approached the academy again, their faces sour with frustration.

"How many guards are there? One, two…"

It seemed the earlier incident had spread throughout the academy, as guards could be seen patrolling the area conspicuously.

The man, his face scratched and bruised from magic, grumbled.

"Damn it, I told you we should just scout during the day and come back later. Why did you act on your own…"

"How was I supposed to know there’d be more people around, boss?"

They had successfully captured two defenseless women earlier, only to discover there were others nearby.

"Huh?"

As they neared the academy, they noticed a girl sitting alone on a bench under the nearby clock tower.

"Isn’t she a student?"

A blonde-haired girl in a black school uniform sat gracefully.

"Yeah, she’s in a uniform."

"What’s she doing out here at this hour?"

"Who knows. Maybe she snuck out to meet her lover or something."

Either way, it was a golden opportunity for them.

‘These academy girls don’t seem to have any sense of caution. Well, works for me…’

With no one else around, it was the perfect chance to kidnap her.

Without even bothering to draw their knives, they crept up behind her with a sack in hand.

Just three steps away from the blonde girl, she suddenly spoke.

"You’re late this time."

"…!"

Without even turning around, the mysterious girl addressed them directly.

‘Late this time…?’

Her words made no sense, but her relaxed posture made her seem completely at ease.

They had approached quietly, making sure not to make a sound, but she had noticed them effortlessly.

"Let’s finish this quickly. I have an appointment later."

When she turned to face them with a bright smile, as if she knew them, the men couldn’t help but laugh incredulously.

"What the hell is this girl saying? Did she eat something weird?"

"If she were normal, she wouldn’t be out here at this hour, boss."

Usually, when two hulking men surrounded someone with murderous intent, they’d naturally cower in fear.

But this girl, as if she’d lost her mind, casually stretched her arms out.

"You, do you even know who we are…?"

"Kidnapping specialists. Mr. Eric Smith and Mr. Jeff Miller, right?"

"What? How do you…?"

They had gone through great lengths to disguise themselves and had already used seven fake names.

But this girl stated their real names flawlessly, not missing a single detail.

They had repeatedly committed crimes by kidnapping noblewomen near the academy and demanding hefty ransoms.

But never before had anyone identified them so accurately.

"Boss, this girl seems suspicious… Are we sure about this…?"

One of the men looked uneasy, but the other shook his head.

"It doesn’t matter. Stab her!"

The two of them pulled out sharp knives and charged at the girl.

The two men lay sprawled miserably amidst shards of ice.

‘…What the hell is that girl…?’

She didn’t even allow them to touch her.

It was as if she knew exactly where their attacks would come from, casting magic without a hint of panic against the two hulking men.

Dozens of ice spears pierced their bodies, avoiding vital spots but pinning them down with precision.

The sharp fragments had deeply embedded into their nerves, rendering them completely immobile.

Her mastery didn’t seem like something done on humans for the first time; it was as if she were a seasoned professional.

As the girl nonchalantly turned to leave, one of the men managed to call out weakly.

"Who… are you…? What’s your purpose…?"

She looked like a noble lady, but beneath the surface, she was a monster.

"…Purpose?"

The blonde-haired girl with blue eyes smiled kindly at them, a stark contrast to her immense power, and answered.

"I just want to enjoy a normal academy life."

With that, she turned her back on them and gracefully walked toward the academy.