Not the Villainess, but the Maid

Chapter 2: Did I Save the Young Lady?

Ruby was known for her sensitivity, and I had been warned not to upset her, yet I ended up spilling tea all over her.

“…”

She stood there, her hair soaked, staring at me without a word.

At that moment, countless thoughts flashed through my mind.

I imagined being dragged to the guillotine or locked in a basement to be tortured daily.

‘So this is how I die, so senselessly.’

Just as I was resigning myself to my fate, Merilda, the head maid, rushed in after hearing a strange noise from below.

“Miss Ruby, are you all right…?”

She looked pale as she hurried to Ruby’s side.

Assessing the situation, she instantly realized I was the one who had spilled the tea and glared at me with a terrifying expression.

“Amber, return to your quarters and await punishment immediately.”

Merilda spoke in a controlled voice, but it was clear she was struggling to contain her anger.

“…Yes.”

As I quietly closed the door behind me, I could hear her apologizing repeatedly to Ruby.

“I’m sorry, Miss Ruby…! It was my failure to train her properly…!”

Each step down the stairs felt unbearably heavy.

***

Back in my quarters, I began packing my belongings without hesitation.

‘How long could I survive out there…?’

Even if I’d been lucky enough to be selected as Ruby’s exclusive maid, I couldn’t guarantee that I wouldn’t mess up again in the future.

I was such a clumsy person that I sometimes wondered if I was cursed.

Resigned to the idea of making plans to survive on my own, I packed my things.

“Amber, something terrible has happened…!”

One of the candidates burst into the room, calling my name with a grave expression.

“What happened? Is Miss Ruby planning to kill me…?”

Convinced I had no escape from death, I braced myself, but she shook her head.

“No, it’s about the tea you spilled. It seems there was something in it that wasn’t supposed to be there…!”

“What…?”

Following her to the parlor, I found an interrogation underway, centered around the candidate who had been partnered with me earlier.

Even Ruby, who rarely left her room, was present, a sign of the gravity of the situation.

One of the candidates pointed a finger and shouted, “I saw it with my own eyes! She put something strange in the tea!”

The accused was the frosty candidate who had prepared tea with me earlier.

After hearing the testimony, Merilda gave a stern command to the candidates.

“Search her pockets.”

“Ugh…”

The accused couldn’t resist as her arms were held, and her pockets searched.

A suspicious-looking vial fell to the floor.

When Merilda opened it and sniffed, her expression hardened.

“This smell… Could it be Tiplos?”

Hearing that familiar word from the game made me freeze.

‘Tiplos…!?’

Known as “Blindweed,” Tiplos was a poisonous plant classified as a deadly herb in the game.

It only grew in dangerous areas explored late in the game, making it a rare item.

Though it had a sweet and alluring scent, ingesting it could cause permanent vision loss or even complete blindness.

No wonder the tea she handed me earlier had such an excessively sweet aroma—it had been laced with this poison.

Understanding the severity of the situation, Merilda turned to the accused with sharp questioning.

“Whose spy are you? Who put you up to this?”

The accused didn’t answer Merilda but instead glared at me and spat angrily.

“It’s all that pink-haired wench’s fault. If she hadn’t spilled the tea…!”

“Answer the question! Why did you plan this?”

“Do you really not know? Think about the atrocities your Sarka Family has committed! That girl deserves to be blind!”

The Sarka Family, which Ruby belonged to, had a notorious reputation for building its wealth on the suffering of others.

It was no surprise that many families and commoners held grudges, with some even infiltrating the mansion to target Ruby’s life.

“She’s impossible to reason with. What should we do, Miss Ruby?”

At Merilda’s question, Ruby quietly turned her head and spoke.

“This isn’t something we can overlook. Report her to the guards, Merilda.”

Merilda nodded at Ruby’s command and gestured to the servants, who dragged the accused woman out of the mansion.

Even as she was being taken away, she continued hurling curses at me.

“If only you hadn’t done something so stupid, everything would’ve worked! Damn you!”

“…”

Ruby watched the scene calmly before silently returning to her room.

I stood frozen, observing the situation when Merilda called me softly.

“Amber, may I have a word with you?”

She led me to a quiet area.

“…What you did today would normally result in immediate dismissal. You’re aware of that, aren’t you?”

“…Yes.”

No matter how kind a noble was, no one would tolerate a maid spilling tea on them.

A maid’s primary duty was to provide impeccable service, and failing at something as basic as serving tea left no justification for keeping her.

As I braced myself for whatever judgment awaited, Merilda sighed deeply and explained.

“But thanks to your accident, Miss Ruby’s life was spared today. Whether it was a coincidence or not, I can’t help but be grateful.”

For the first time, Merilda showed a slightly gentler expression as she continued.

“You’ve been given another chance, Amber.”

“Really…?”

When I asked in disbelief, Merilda smiled faintly and nodded.

“After all, you’re technically the young lady’s savior. You may continue as a maid candidate and participate in the evaluations.”

“Thank you, Head Maid…!”

I was relieved.

At least I had another opportunity.

Who would’ve thought spilling tea could end up helping the young lady?

“But bear this in mind. To be chosen as her exclusive maid with your current scores, you’ll have to work twice as hard as everyone else.”

“…Yes. I understand.”

“I’ve worked as a maid in this family for decades, but this is the first time I’ve seen something so strange…”

Merilda said she’d never encountered anything like this in all her years of service.

“By the way, it’s already…”

Merilda squinted as if straining to see something. Her expression made me instinctively shrink back as I asked hesitantly.

“Are you still upset with me?”

“Hm?”

Realizing my reaction, Merilda softened her expression and shook her head.

“Not at all. I was just trying to check the time. My eyesight isn’t what it used to be, so I squint to see things clearly from afar.”

Relieved to know it was a misunderstanding, I replied.

“Oh, I see… It’s just past midnight.”

“You can see that clearly? I envy your young eyes…”

Seeing her squint reminded me of something.

‘Wait, squinting because of poor vision…?’

I suddenly recalled how 17-year-old Ruby in the game always squinted when looking at people.

The tea I had spilled contained a poison that would’ve severely affected her eyesight.

If she had consumed it today, she would’ve suffered devastating vision damage at such a young age.

With her vision impaired, Ruby would naturally squint when looking at others.

‘So that’s why she always had that expression in the game…’

Now that she had avoided drinking the poison, she would likely retain her calm demeanor even as she grew older.

‘What an incredible twist of fate…’

Lost in thought, I noticed Merilda still lingering nearby.

“Merilda? You’re still here.”

After some hesitation, she grabbed my hand and led me along.

“Follow me, Amber.”

“Where are we going?”

She took me to the kitchen, where shelves were filled with various tea leaves.

“…I feel it’s only right to show my gratitude properly.”

Opening the tea cabinet and pulling out ingredients, Merilda said,

“This might be a bit improper, but I’ll teach you the recipe for the tea the young lady loves.”

I was startled and asked, “Really? Is it okay to share that?”

Tea-making was considered a hallmark of a maid’s skill, and sharing recipes, even among maids, was rare.

“Technically, it’s against the rules. But I’m at the age where my hair is turning white. Better to pass it on than take it with me when I retire.”

“Such a precious thing…”

“Pay attention. I’ll show you only once.”

Following Merilda’s instructions, I made the tea.

The result was extraordinary—a perfect balance of sweetness and fragrance that filled my mouth with every sip.

Though my serving skills still left much to be desired, I now knew how to make tea Ruby would enjoy.