Not the Villainess, but the Maid

Chapter 15: Spoiled Child

“Miss, it’s time to eat.”

“···.”

Since last night, Ruby had been like this.

It was already well into Sunday afternoon, yet she remained in this state.

I had explained to her that the rumors of my engagement with Amethyst were untrue, but since then, she had buried herself under the covers and refused to get up.

Ruby’s “burrowed-under-the-blanket” mode.

It was her unique form of rebellion since childhood, a way of expressing her displeasure as actively as possible.

Perhaps she thought of it as throwing a tantrum, but honestly, her wrapped-up figure was too adorable.

“Miss, it’s the weekend, so you should stretch and move around a bit.”

“···.”

“I’ll help you up. Come on, Miss.”

After my repeated coaxing, Ruby reluctantly peeked her face out from beneath the blanket, wearing a sullen expression.

This marked the second stage of her “I don’t want to do anything” mode, characterized by her becoming remarkably passive.

At times like these, she would depend on me as if she were truly a baby.

“Here, give me your hand.”

When she didn’t even want to lift herself, I would take her arm and help her sit up like this.

As I reached out to lift her as usual, Ruby suddenly moved her hand and clasped mine as if interlocking fingers.

“Uh, Miss?”

“···I want to sleep more.”

“···!?”

Then she pulled me down into the bed with her, burying her face into the front of my white apron.

She rested her face near my navel, breathing softly like a baby.

As I froze, surprised by Ruby’s sudden action, her faint breaths tickled my stomach.

Her warm breaths penetrated through the fabric and teased my navel, leaving me feeling ticklish.

“···Eek···.”

Whether she was aware of my predicament or not, Ruby continued to breathe softly, sound asleep.

After about a minute, Ruby lifted her face from my apron and looked up at me.

“Why are you like this, Amber? Can’t you fall asleep?”

“How could I sleep like this?”

“I find it quite comfortable.”

Watching Ruby rest her face against my apron so comfortably, I couldn’t bring myself to move and simply lay there awkwardly.

With both hands gently restrained by hers, I couldn’t resist and instead lay still, listening to her soft breathing.

The brunch I had prepared was growing cold, and the clock ticked steadily in the silence.

“···Miss, is there any particular meaning behind this behavior?”

“I’m recharging.”

“Recharging···?”

Ruby’s face, which had been near my navel, slowly moved upward.

“Lately, I’ve been worn out because of you, Amber. I need to recharge a bit.”

I firmly explained why that was impossible.

“Although I use electric magic, I can’t cast spells to recharge people, Miss.”

“···.”

At that, Ruby gave me a slightly intimidating look, so I stopped speaking.

It seemed she had no intention of letting me leave the bed.

Even as the meal grew cold, she clung to me, her fingers intertwined with mine, her face pressed against my chest without moving.

‘···She’s really just a grown child.’

Now taller than me, with hair much longer than before, Ruby had grown up.

Her hands, far more slender and elongated compared to when she was thirteen, brought back memories of her playing the piano at recitals.

It felt like just yesterday when she performed, yet here she was, all grown up.

By saying she had matured, I didn’t mean she had become more adult-like.

She had grown into someone honest with her emotions, capable of clearly expressing her likes and dislikes.

‘For someone who could change this much just by having someone like me by her side···.’

The original Ruby Sarka had no one to indulge her childish whims or scold her for her actions.

Born to parents who found children bothersome, she was sent to a separate building as soon as she was weaned and raised by maids.

She had no fond memories with her parents from her childhood.

Only countless maids who saw her as “work” surrounded her.

Compared to the Ruby I first met, she was now an entirely different person.

Anyone who knew the current Ruby would be able to tell that she didn’t seem like the stereotypical villainess.

Ruby gradually loosened her grip on my clasped hands and spoke.

“…Amber, you’re too kind.”

Both Ruby and even Dia had commented on how kind I was.

“That can’t be true. I’m such a selfish person.”

The fact that I was acting as Ruby’s maid and keeping an eye on her to ensure she didn’t become a villainess was all for my own benefit.

It was nothing more than an act of survival in this place.

There shouldn’t have been any deeper meaning to it…

“It’s okay. That’s just another part of you I like, Amber.”

“…I can’t argue if that’s how you feel, my lady.”

Ruby, who had buried her face in my apron, spoke with a faint smile.

“And, as expected, you smell good.”

“Pardon…!?”

Come to think of it, I had never let her come this close before.

Realizing that her actions just now were akin to tacit permission for me to catch her scent, I turned bright red.

“That’s enough… I don’t have a scent or anything like that…!”

I fidgeted and tried to pull away from Ruby, but it didn’t go as planned.

“That’s strange. If you didn’t like it, you’d push me away harder, wouldn’t you?”

“But if I did that, you’d get hurt.”

Hearing my response, Ruby looked at me with a face full of concern.

“This is what’s wrong with you, Amber. You’re naturally considerate to the core.”

“That’s because you’re Ruby, my lady…”

“Would you be able to refuse as firmly if someone else did the same thing?”

“Of course, I would…”

I started to say it confidently, but then stopped midway.

Thinking about it, I wasn’t sure if I would have firmly rejected Dia or Amethyst if they had done the same.

“…You’re realizing it’s hard, aren’t you?”

“…”

Unable to answer, I averted my gaze, and Ruby let out a deep sigh.

“Amber, if you’re planning to worry me any further…”

Just then, a white ball of fluff leapt onto Ruby’s head mid-sentence.

“Meow.”

It was Milk, Ruby’s cat, who had secretly stowed away in her travel bag a few days ago.

Stretching lazily atop her master’s head, Milk picked at her fur.

“That’s not okay, Milk! Get down from my lady’s head!”

I quickly lifted the cat off Ruby’s head as I scolded her.

“Meow.”

Milk licked my cheek affectionately as if greeting me.

After spending several years together, it seemed like Milk had grown fond of me.

Ruby, fixing her disheveled hair caused by the cat, stood up while glaring at Milk and muttered something quietly.

“If I knew this would happen, I should have gotten a male cat, not a female…”

“Pardon?”

“…Nothing. Let’s take a bath. Prepare the water.”

“Yes, I’ll get it ready right away!”

Milk purred contentedly in my arms, rubbing against me.

The dormitory room came with a reasonably luxurious bath.

It made sense given the tuition fees were exorbitantly higher than other academies.

With royals and prestigious nobles flocking to enroll, the cost must have been astronomical.

I slowly filled the bathtub with water at a temperature Ruby would find comfortable.

Adding her favorite bath salts, the aroma soon filled the bathroom.

Preparing the bathwater was an essential task in a maid’s routine.

When I was just learning, I often ended up creating scalding hot “hell baths” due to my poor temperature control.

The head maid, Merilda, had scolded me so harshly that her words still rang in my ears.

“Are you trying to boil the lady alive?!”

Thanks to her intense training, I eventually mastered finding the perfect temperature.

Once the large bathtub was sufficiently filled, I stopped the water and stood up to call Ruby.

“My lady, the bath is ready!”

Now, I just needed to wait outside while she finished her bath and prepare fresh clothes and towels.

Heading to the changing room, I found Ruby already there, dressed lightly as usual.

“I’ll leave the clean clothes and towel here.”

Ruby watched silently as I placed the items down before asking.

“Is it just my things?”

“Pardon?”

When I looked at her in confusion, she replied as though it was obvious.

“You need to bring your clothes and towel too, Amber.”

“Why would I need those?”

“I told you, we’re taking a bath.”

Not understanding her words at first, I hesitantly asked with a worried expression.

“…Surely, you don’t mean that I should…?”

“Yes. Hurry and get them.”

“Wait, this is too sudden…”

“What’s the big deal? We used to bathe together all the time as kids.”

That was back when we were thirteen.

Now, four years later, with our bodies fully developed, the idea of sharing a bath hadn’t even crossed my mind.

‘Is this… really okay…?’

Reluctantly, I gathered my clothes and towel and headed to the changing room.

Ruby, now down to her undergarments, was neatly folding her discarded clothes.

Seventeen-year-old Ruby’s figure was beyond what I had imagined.

A slender waist, wide hips, and most notably, the sizable curves barely concealed by her black underwear…

“…Amber, what are you doing?”

“Pardon…?”

Ruby, who had just begun unhooking her bra, looked at me and spoke.

“You need to undress too.”