Not the Villainess, but the Maid

Chapter 52: Back to the Mansion

The first semester ended, and the vacation began.

The carriage that had set off toward the academy on the first day of school was now heading back home.

I sat in the rattling carriage, diligently reading through the notes in my notebook.

“What are you so focused on, Amber?”

“I exchanged addresses with the club members. We decided to exchange letters during the vacation.”

“...Hmm.”

Ruby didn’t seem particularly interested.

Well, she never checked the mailbox even once.

To be honest, I wondered if there was anything she liked besides playing the piano.

I flipped through the notebook filled with addresses, checking if I’d missed anyone.

‘The last one was definitely Momo... Huh?’

The page behind the last address was folded.

When I unfolded it to check, an unexpected name caught my eye.

[Clara]

Her name and address, written at some unknown time.

I was sure Clara hadn’t been in the clubroom then.

Had she written it down while I left my notebook unattended?

‘...’

Putting my questions aside, I quietly closed the notebook and tucked it into my bag.

As I stepped out of the carriage with my luggage, a familiar sight greeted me.

The unnecessarily large yard, the enormous mansion, and behind it, a hill-sized wooded area stretched endlessly.

I felt like crying from nostalgia.

I still vividly remembered climbing the tree over there to rescue a cat.

Ding-ding.

I rang the bell hanging on the main gate, and the sound traveled through the line into the mansion.

Shortly after, an elderly woman in a maid’s uniform, her white hair gleaming, walked out with a measured pace.

“Who is it...?”

She squinted, as if her eyesight wasn’t good, and lifted the glasses hanging around her neck.

Then, she broke into a bright smile and said,

“Young Miss, Amber...! You’ve returned!”

It had been a while since I last saw Merilda, and her white hair seemed to have increased in the meantime.

She approached Ruby, took her hand, and asked,

“Were you comfortable during your time away? Amber didn’t cause any trouble, did she?”

“...No. There were no issues.”

The atmosphere between the two was still as plain as ever.

After finishing her greeting with Ruby, Merilda turned to me.

“...Amber.”

“I-I’m back...”

Merilda gave me a slightly stern look.

Did I do something wrong...?

Now that I think about it, I might’ve forgotten to hang up the bed sheets before leaving.

As I trembled in nervousness, she suddenly hugged me tightly and said,

“It’s so good to see you again.”

It seemed she had been disappointed that I hadn’t said a proper goodbye when I left and was now warmly welcoming me back.

The comforting embrace nearly brought tears to my eyes.

“...Yes. Me too, Merilda.”

After holding me for a while, Merilda stepped back slightly and placed her hands on my shoulders.

“Oh, and...”

“Yes?”

“I told you to hang up the bed sheets before leaving! How many times do I have to remind you, Amber? Where is your head these days?”

No sooner had I arrived than Merilda scolded me thoroughly again.

Please give me back my touching moment.

Carrying the luggage I’d brought back from the academy, I headed to the attic.

It was the room I’d lived in before, a bit moldy and dusty, but livable nonetheless.

‘Still, it feels good to be home...’

Since I was tired from the long journey, I had received permission to rest for the day.

I opened the attic door, planning to lie comfortably on the floor.

Crash!

“What the heck is this!?”

As soon as I opened the door, piles of clutter packed inside tumbled out.

Among them was a broken piano, and I almost got crushed.

‘Why is my room like this?’

As I stood bewildered at the doorway, Merilda came up after hearing the noise.

“Oh my! Are you all right, Amber?”

“Yes, I’m not hurt, but... What is all this?”

When I gestured toward the piles of stuff in the room, Merilda answered sheepishly,

“Well... While you were gone, we used the empty room as a storage space. I completely forgot to clear it out...”

The room was packed so tightly with items that there wasn’t even space for a person to stand, let alone sleep.

Though Merilda offered to clear it out immediately, I shook my head and declined.

“When would I ever put all this back again? Just leave it.”

“Are you sure? That means losing your personal space...”

“Hmm...”

I briefly considered where I could sleep.

‘Milk’s place? Or maybe Merilda’s room?’

The former was too small, and the latter felt too awkward.

As I wrestled with my options, Ruby came striding up the stairs.

“What’s all the commotion?”

It seemed the noise of the clutter falling had reached Ruby’s room.

After Merilda explained the situation to Ruby, she replied indifferently,

“In that case, just share my room.”

“Young Miss, share your room with Amber...!?”

Merilda looked quite surprised by Ruby's response.

"Are you really okay with this? Sharing a room with someone else?"

"Yes. I've been doing it in the dorms, so it's not a problem. As long as Amber is fine with it."

Ruby's gaze turned toward me.

There was no reason for me to refuse. Ruby was the person I was most comfortable with and had known the longest.

"Yes. Then I'll stay in the same room as you during the break."

The issue was resolved faster than expected, but Merilda still looked quite shocked.

"Living long enough, you see all kinds of things... For Ruby to share her room with someone else..."

Thinking back to how even the maids had to be cautious about entering Ruby's room in the past, it must have been truly shocking for her.

When I entered Ruby's room, I couldn't help but marvel.

It was at least twice—no, three times—bigger than the attic where I had lived.

Of course, I had seen it daily as I came and went, but staying here made the impression entirely different.

As I spread my bedding in a corner of Ruby's room, she looked at me curiously and asked,

"What are you doing, Amber?"

"I'm setting up my sleeping spot. Is this area inconvenient for you?"

She shook her head firmly at my words and pulled up the bedding.

"Did you really think I'd let you sleep on the floor? Your bed is over there, Amber."

Ruby pointed to her own bed with her finger.

"...But there's only one bed."

"Yes. And?"

In Ruby's room, there was a single queen-sized bed.

‘No way, sharing a bed with her...?’

Ruby naturally went to her bed and lay down.

"Come on, lie down. It's big enough for two people, so it won't be uncomfortable."

"Are you sure that's okay?"

"Of course. From now on, you'll be sleeping here all the time, so get used to it."

Ruby spoke while lying on the bed in an alluring pose.

"Go ahead, touch it, Amber."

I swallowed nervously.

If I just reached out, I could feel that soft, indulgent sensation...

Though I had seen it countless times, I had never so much as brushed against it, let alone touched it.

Cautiously stepping toward her bed, I gingerly placed my hand on it.

"It's okay. Touch it."

-Thump.

‘So soft!’

The texture was supple yet resilient, a tactile sensation that felt almost artistic.

Ruby, watching me with her flushed cheeks, grabbed my other wrist and pulled me closer.

"Don't be so timid. Squeeze it harder. Like this..."

She demonstrated by gripping and shaping it in various ways as if to explain.

With paradise right before my eyes, I kept hesitating.

Could I truly indulge in such bliss? Unable to resist the temptation any longer, I finally grabbed it with both hands.

‘Oh...’

The soft texture spread through my fingers, overwhelming my senses.

"Wait, Amber... If you squeeze it like that..."

Soon, merely holding it wasn’t enough. I gripped it with all my strength, kneading and squeezing it to my heart's content.

‘I can't stop myself...!’

Completely lost in the sensation, Ruby finally pulled me away.

"Amber! If you squeeze that hard, you'll ruin the blanket!"

"Oh, I'm sorry! It just felt so good that I..."

The blanket and mattress on Ruby's bed possessed a heavenly texture.

I nearly lost myself entirely.

After lying down and rolling around a bit, I quickly adjusted to the sensation.

Ruby must have slept on this kind of bed every night. It was on a whole other level compared to the dormitory beds.

Sharing a room with her, I still felt as if I was back in the dormitory.

Sharing the same bed made me feel even closer to her.

Lying on the wide bed in the darkened room, I stared up at the ceiling.

Starting tomorrow, life would return to the busy routine of a maid in the mansion.

But something felt like it was slipping my mind...

Lying there absentmindedly, a thought suddenly struck me, making me sit up abruptly.

‘That's right...! Miss Ruby's birthday!’

Checking the calendar, I realized it was tomorrow.

I had worked so hard to prepare cookies for her birthday.

But the last few days, distracted by Diana and my own restlessness, I had neglected my practice.

‘What do I do...? Are there still enough ingredients in the kitchen...?’

There was only one day left until Ruby's birthday.

If I wanted to bake delicious cookies for her in time, I didn’t have much time to spare.

Ruby was still sound asleep, so this was the perfect opportunity to sneak out.

‘I’ll finish them by tomorrow, no matter what...!’

And so, I quietly passed through the dark and silent halls of the mansion, heading toward the kitchen.