Not the Villainess, but the Maid

Chapter 49: Operation Reading the Room

There were many concerns, but the meal with Emerald Lupin somehow concluded successfully.

Because of her friendly personality, I found myself actively engaging in conversation with her as the meal went on.

After everything ended, Amethyst and I boarded the carriage again.

As I sat next to her, I could sense the fatigue emanating from her as she slumped in her seat.

"Haah... Every time I meet my sister, I feel like all my energy is drained away."

"Still, she wasn’t as scary as you said she’d be."

I replied as I recalled the conversation with Emerald Lupin.

"In a way, she kind of reminded me of you, Amethyst."

"My sister and I? No way."

She shrugged her shoulders as if she couldn’t believe it.

It’s natural for siblings to not want to admit they resemble each other.

Clatter, clatter.

In the now-quiet carriage, the sounds of horse hooves and wheels rolling filled the air.

Amethyst, who had been staring at me for quite some time with her chin propped up, finally spoke.

"...Amber."

"Yes?"

"Can I sit next to you?"

She asked me with her eyes half-closed.

"Since when did you start asking for permission...?"

Normally, she would’ve come over without hesitation, but she showed an unusual side of herself.

"I want to sit next to you, but maybe you don’t want me to."

It seemed her energy had truly been drained by her sister.

Amethyst rarely showed such a timid side of herself.

‘Well, this is unexpected.’

I smiled mischievously and patted the seat next to me.

"Oh... I wish someone would come over and lend me a shoulder..."

At my indirect acceptance, she rushed to sit beside me and plopped down.

"Yay!"

Like a puppy receiving praise, Amethyst wiggled her head side to side as she leaned against me.

Her actions were both adorable and comforting, so I leaned my head on her shoulder and closed my eyes.

By the time we arrived at the academy, it was dark evening.

The elderly coachman stopped the carriage and informed us.

"Young ladies, we’ve arrived."

"Mm..."

The announcement woke me up, and I noticed Amethyst had fallen asleep on my shoulder.

I gently shook her awake.

"Amethyst, we’re here."

"Just five more minutes... Mmnya..."

She looked so content in her sleep that I felt bad waking her.

In the end, I politely asked the coachman.

"Sorry, could we sit here just a little longer?"

"Take your time, as you wish."

I left the carriage door slightly open, letting some fresh air seep in.

I waited leisurely, hoping Amethyst would wake up in a good mood.

About ten minutes later, Amethyst woke up, and we headed straight to the dormitory.

Glancing at her watch, Amethyst sighed in relief.

"11:55... Just barely made it before curfew."

"Curfew starts at midnight, right?"

From midnight, dormitory access was restricted to ensure students could sleep and rest properly.

If Amethyst had slept five more minutes, she’d have had to stay out overnight.

Before parting ways in the dormitory hallway, Amethyst spoke to me.

"Thanks for everything today. See you tomorrow, Amber."

"Yes, you too, Amethyst."

After a brief goodbye, I stood in front of my room door.

‘Lady Ruby must be asleep, right?’

Using the key I had, I carefully opened the door and tiptoed inside.

I focused all my attention on my footsteps, walking on tiptoes to avoid waking Ruby.

Suddenly, a white cat appeared in front of me.

"Meow~"

It was Milk, meowing as if to greet me.

I raised a finger at him.

"Milk, shh...! You’ll wake the lady..."

"Mew? Meow, meow!"

"Stay quiet, and I’ll give you a snack tomorrow."

"..."

At my words, Milk immediately closed his mouth.

I crossed the room, still in my clothes, and dove straight into bed.

‘Phew, Ruby’s asleep.’

If she’d been awake, I could already picture her interrogating me about who I went with, where I went, and what I did.

Feeling relieved that I could sleep peacefully tonight, I closed my eyes.

Flash.

Then, I felt something flash beside me and opened my eyes immediately.

"Ack!"

Ruby stood there, leaning against the wall, holding a lantern in one hand and staring straight at me.

She strode toward me with the lantern and leaned her face close.

"...Amber, explain."

"Spare me...!"

"What is this?"

Ruby handed me a piece of paper.

On it, in clumsy handwriting, was written:

[ Borrowing Amber ★ - Your dear friend, Amethyst. ]

It was obviously a note left by Amethyst.

Seeing it, I felt a surge of anxiety and betrayal toward Amethyst.

‘Amethyst, didn’t you say you explained everything...?’

The note conveyed no detailed explanation, only the bare essentials.

Moreover, the tone of the message felt more like an announcement than an apology.

"...I’ll explain everything."

In the end, I got out of bed again and explained everything that had happened today to Ruby without leaving out a single detail.

After listening to my story, Ruby seemed to have calmed down a bit and spoke.

"If you had told me there was such a situation, I would have understood. Amethyst, that woman is just..."

We sighed at the same time.

Honestly, sometimes I don’t know what goes on in that princess's head either.

"You’re not hurt anywhere, are you? Let me check."

"I'm fine. Really, we just had dinner."

Ruby scanned me thoroughly from head to toe before letting out a relieved sigh.

"Anyway, it’s a relief everything ended safely. By the way, did Princess Emerald mention anything about the Sarka Family?"

"Come to think of it, she did say something similar. She asked if I was doing this under the family’s orders..."

"I figured as much..."

With a slightly darkened expression, Ruby continued speaking.

"Amber. Our Sarka Family isn’t exactly a proud family. You know that, don’t you?"

"...Yes."

Twenty years ago, we were untouchable, but things were different now.

The Sarka Family no longer held the same power, and nearly all the nobles knew about the atrocities our family had committed.

It was the karma of building a household through unjust and cruel means.

"In any case, we need to be cautious with public activities. Amber, you’re practically a member of the Sarka Family, after all."

"Yes, I’ll keep that in mind, My Lady."

As the Sarka Family’s power diminished, those harboring hostility toward us would only increase.

That was a fate I’d have to deal with in the future.

"By the way... Amber?"

"Yes?"

Ruby crossed her arms and gave me a sharp look.

Oh no, this was Ruby’s telltale sign of being angry...

"You know you need to be punished for going out without saying a word, right?"

"Ah..."

I had somewhat expected this.

After the Milk kidnapping incident, she had strictly warned me against leaving without informing her, yet I’d broken that rule again.

Ruby spoke with a slightly serious expression.

"What kind of punishment would be appropriate...?"

"Don’t tell me... house arrest?"

"Of course. That’s a given. You’ll be grounded for at least three weeks."

That was seriously problematic.

Ruby’s birthday was coming up soon, and to perfect the cookies for the occasion, I needed to practice with Diana in the kitchen...

As I showed my dismay, Ruby turned her head and said.

"This time, I’m not letting it slide. Unless, well, maybe if you show some sincerity, like... a kiss on the cheek, I might consider going easy."

I leaned in close at her words.

"Really? Would that really be enough?"

"Huh...?"

Ruby seemed quite flustered by my sudden enthusiasm.

"No, I was just kidding..."

If something so simple could lessen my punishment, why not?

"I’ll do it!"

I stood up immediately without hesitation.

"Amber, wai—"

Ignoring her stunned expression, I leaned toward her and lightly pressed my lips against her cheek.

Eyes closed, I stayed like that for about three seconds.

All I could feel was the softness of her cheek and a few strands of her silky hair brushing against me.

I now understood why lips were considered the most sensitive part of the body.

The warmth from her skin radiated into my lips, sending a tingling sensation through me.

After gently kissing her cheek, I pulled back.

"...Will this do?"

Now that it was done, my face felt a little hot.

It’s fine. I’d heard that such gestures were common among close female friends.

"..."

Ruby stared straight ahead, completely frozen.

"My Lady?"

When she didn’t respond, I waved my hand in front of her face.

"Please say something. Are you okay...?"

No matter how much I waved, she remained unresponsive.

That day, it took quite a while for Ruby to regain her ability to speak.

The next day, I headed toward the academy’s main gate with Ruby as usual.

From inside, there were sounds of commotion.

I looked up at the academy building and said.

"I can’t believe it’s already next week’s break. Time really flies, My Lady."

Saying that, I turned to look at Ruby.

"..."

"Ruby?"

Ruby had been acting strange since yesterday.

She kept absentmindedly touching one side of her face, bumping into obstacles everywhere.

"My Lady, that’s not the gate; that’s the flower bed..."

After I grabbed her arm to stop her from wandering, we finally managed to enter the academy.

As we stepped inside, the murmuring students suddenly went silent.

‘...Huh? Why did they all go quiet...?’

The female students stared at us warily, as if we were something unfamiliar.

I felt puzzled by the blatant, strange gazes directed at us until a piece of paper drifted to my feet.

I naturally bent down to pick it up and froze at what was written on it.

[ The Ugly Truth of Ruby Sarka, the Sarka Family's Young Lady...? ]

The paper listed detailed accusations of crimes supposedly committed by Ruby.

They were so heinous and vile that I instinctively frowned, unable to believe Ruby could ever do such things.

‘Who in the world...?’

To me, it was clear that whoever wrote this had malicious intent.

While Ruby and I were still reeling from shock, a familiar face emerged from the crowd.

A small girl with red hair, noticeably shorter than the other students.

Student Council President Citrine walked toward us with a troubled expression and spoke.

"...Ruby Sarka. In accordance with the student council rules, I summon you to a class trial."