Not the Villainess, but the Maid

Chapter 30: Truth Is Sometimes Harsh (1)

Today, the Free Activity Club was operating peacefully as usual.

Despite Lady Ruby's efforts, there weren’t any new applicants to the club, but since we had reached the minimum requirement of 10 members, it wouldn’t be disbanded anytime soon.

“I brought tea!”

As I placed the tea down in front of the club members with familiar movements, they each picked up a cup and expressed their gratitude.

“Thank you as always, Amber.”

“Thanks.”

Everyone, without exception, was included in the tea time, and before we knew it, they all seemed to have seamlessly blended into the atmosphere.

“…Hmph.”

Except for Clara, who stood grumpily with her arms crossed and swiftly snatched up her cup of tea.

I looked at her with a puzzled expression and asked,

“Why do you always stand while drinking, Clara? There are plenty of seats.”

“That’s my business, isn’t it?”

‘What a peculiar person… truly.’

The more time I spent with her, the more I thought she was strange.

“Huh?”

While setting down the cups, I realized that one was missing.

‘That’s odd. I brought the exact number for everyone.’

As I wondered about this and glanced at the last person I had set a cup down for, I saw Student Council President Citrine sitting comfortably in a seat.

“President? Why are you here?”

It was a time when she should have been busy with student council work, yet Citrine had somehow appeared and was calmly sipping tea.

She met my gaze and nonchalantly said,

“Lately, it’s been hard to see your commoner face. I dropped by to see what you’ve been up to.”

Lady Ruby, seated at the central desk, politely addressed Citrine.

“Apologies, President, but outsiders are not permitted in the club room.”

“What? Outsider?”

“Yes, outsider.”

“Who do you think made this club possible!? Just because you’re tall doesn’t mean you’re everything!”

Why did height suddenly come into this?

Sensing that their argument might escalate, I quickly stepped in to mediate.

“Ladies, since you’re both here, why not spend some time together peacefully? Alright?”

“…”

Both of them wore dissatisfied expressions but seemed to agree with me, as the argument did not continue further.

Looking around, I noticed Ruby didn’t have any tea in front of her.

“I’ll need to prepare another cup. I’ll bring some more tea and snacks.”

As I spoke and moved to leave, Diana stood up and offered,

“I’ll help today, Amber.”

“Diana? It’s fine; I can handle it myself.”

“I feel bad for letting you do all the work as a fellow member. Besides, I’ve been wanting to treat everyone to some snacks I made myself.”

Snacks? There should still be a mountain of cookies I had baked.

“I appreciate the thought, but there’s already a pile of cookies I’ve prepared…”

I was about to politely decline her offer when Ruby’s voice came from behind me.

“Amber, why not share the workload today? I’ve been curious about Diana’s homemade snacks, too.”

Other members chimed in agreement with her.

“Amber’s treats are, of course, delicious, but it might be nice to try something new for a change.”

“Hmm…”

That was true.

No matter how delicious my cookies were, people could tire of eating the same thing every day.

“Alright. Snacks today will all be made by Diana!”

As I turned around after saying that, I thought I heard faint sighs of relief behind me.

From the kitchen, the sound of Diana clinking a bowl filled with dough echoed.

Her skilled movements with the utensils made it clear that she had done this more than a few times before.

I approached Diana, who was focused on making snacks, and said,

“Diana, is there anything you can’t do?”

She looked slightly surprised by my sudden question but soon smiled gently and replied,

“I can’t do everything well. I learned this from my mother back when I was still a commoner.”

“Ah…”

Typically, nobles didn’t cook for themselves.

That’s why they hired servants, and I was one of those servants.

Seeing Diana excel at cooking felt unusual.

‘She did mention she was once a commoner who became a noble.’

To be honest, I was deeply curious about this woman.

Her reserved attitude, which never flaunted her status as a noble and kept her one step removed from the center of events, was intriguing.

If I could learn about her upbringing, maybe some of these questions would be answered.

In visual novels, while heroines often had detailed backstories, the protagonist’s setting was usually glossed over.

As I quietly observed her hands moving, I carefully asked,

“…Diana. This might be a bit of an impolite question.”

“Yes, what is it?”

“…Can I ask about your biological parents?”

“…”

She paused her movements for a moment before finally speaking.

“They’re doing well in my hometown. It’s just…”

After a long silence, she resumed her work.

“They never visited me after selling me to a noble family.”

Listening to the quiet clinking sound, I apologized.

“…I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked.”

“It’s okay. I don’t really think about it anymore.”

While I hadn’t expected her background to be ordinary, the truth was far simpler and crueler than I had imagined.

Shifting my gaze to the dough she was preparing, I asked,

“How’s the snack coming along?”

“Overall, I’d say it’s about 70% done. Now I just need to shape it and bake it.”

"I'll help shape them."

As I rolled up my sleeves and stood beside her, Diana smiled and replied.

"Really? I'd appreciate that."

Taking the mold from her, I began pressing the dough to shape it.

Diana, watching me closely, smiled softly and asked.

"Amber, you're quite unique."

"Pardon?"

"You're different from ordinary women. It's like your inner self feels distinctly different somehow."

'...!'

Her words felt like an implication of my true identity as a man, leaving me slightly flustered as I asked.

"Uh, what makes you feel that way?"

Having finished preparing the dough, Diana stepped closer to me and answered.

"You're strong. Stronger than anyone I've ever known."

Strong? Me?

"Come on, you're joking, right?"

The idea of me being called strong, someone who'd even lose to a cat, was absurd.

"I'm serious. There aren't many people with inner strength like yours, Amber."

"...But I'm incredibly timid."

Even before I ended up in this body, I had always been a coward.

I was so timid that when there was a small fire at school, I froze up and ended up being the last one left behind.

However, Diana shook her head in disagreement and said.

"Do you remember when Ruby awakened her fire powers?"

How could I forget?

During the awards ceremony, Ruby had accidentally awakened her powers, causing a fire that engulfed the entire hall.

"...Yes, you were there at the time, weren't you?"

"At that time, I left to fetch water, thinking I needed to put out the fire first to save Ruby."

Though her timing had been slightly off, she had indeed come back with a bucket of water.

Diana wore a slightly bitter expression as she continued.

"But Amber, you were different. Unlike me, you ran into the flames without hesitation."

Thinking back, it had been a reckless act.

"At that moment, I was so out of my mind thinking I’d lose Lady Ruby…"

I’d always thought of that as an action that could have ended terribly for both Ruby and me, but Diana seemed to see it differently.

"Most people, when faced with danger, try to flee. But you, Amber, face the danger head-on and try to resolve it."

"..."

"That's not something just anyone can do."

I'd never considered it that way.

I always thought my mind went blank in those situations because I was just a coward.

While I was definitely scared, in hindsight, I had always ended up being the last person to remain in those situations.

But in the end, things had always turned out well, so I assumed it was just luck.

If they hadn’t, I’d have been labeled an idiot who couldn’t even protect herself.

"...I'm not as amazing as you think, Diana. I don't have any special skills or strength."

"...Is that so?"

After putting the cookies in the oven, Diana removed her gloves and took my hand.

"Even so, Amber, to me, you're like a hero."

'A hero?'

For some reason, I felt as if I'd just received a confession, and my face heated up.

Diana's blue eyes locked onto mine, and I found myself captivated by her gaze.

'...She's beautiful.'

Once again, I was struck by how stunning she was.

Her overwhelming presence could sway the hearts of all the female heroines in the original game.

The protagonist, Diana, undeniably possessed an irresistible charm.

Before I realized it, my body was slowly being pushed, and I found myself backed against the wall.

"..."

She intertwined her fingers with mine and gently pressed me against the wall.

"D-Diana?"

With the distance between us now close enough to feel her breath, she spoke softly.

"...I want to know more about you, Amber."

"...What?"

A single golden strand of hair fell from her forehead, swaying with the soft breath she exhaled.

Facing each other so closely without blinking was more embarrassing than I had imagined.

Just the proximity of her face made my heart pound, as if I had become Diana’s captive.

"...So, please, let me get to know you."

In the suffocating silence, Diana slowly leaned her face closer to mine.

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A whirlpool of shock