Not the Villainess, but the Maid

Chapter 53: Ruby’s Birthday

I crossed the dark mansion alone and entered the kitchen.

‘Even if Diana isn’t here, I have to do this on my own!’

Until now, she had helped me throughout the cookie-making process, but this time, I had to do it entirely by myself.

Since it was the first birthday gift I was giving the lady, making it on my own held a lot of meaning.

I laid out various ingredients on the cutting board and slowly started kneading the dough according to the recipe Diana had practically drilled into my head.

First attempt, second attempt, and then the third.

The first attempt failed because the dough was too hard, and the second because it was too soft.

The third... Well, it simply didn’t taste good.

‘That’s strange. I’m sure I followed the instructions exactly...’

Time passed, and my anxiety grew stronger and stronger.

In the dimly lit kitchen, the sound of the ticking clock echoed.

Of course, I ended up staying awake all night, baking cookies over and over until I got a better result.

‘...’

By the time I pulled the last batch of cookies out of the oven, the kitchen was unrecognizable, a complete mess.

I had no more ingredients left, nor any time to spare.

‘...This really has to be the last one.’

The cookies looked perfectly baked on the outside, with no visible flaws.

Filled with a mix of anxiety and anticipation, I took one fresh out of the oven and tasted it.

-Crunch.

Morning arrived, and I began another day as usual.

With dark circles under my eyes from the sleepless night, I started my morning tasks when a deliveryman suddenly arrived with a package.

“Is this the Sarka residence? This is a valuable item, so I need proper confirmation.”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

I signed the paperwork he handed over and asked him a question.

“By the way, who is this addressed to?”

“It’s for Miss Ruby Sarka.”

When I tore off the wrapping paper of the package, a fancy card attached to luxurious packaging greeted me.

Reading the words written on it, I let out a sigh.

‘Here we go again...’

Ruby had a peculiar trait.

She absolutely refused to accept monetary gifts.

The reason was unclear, but she’d always been that way since I first met her.

This time, the gift was sent by her parents—a sparkling necklace adorned with gemstones.

‘Oh dear, this is trouble...’

It was obviously an expensive and extravagant gift. Carefully holding it, I approached Ruby and said,

“My lady, a birthday gift has arrived from your parents...”

Without hesitation, Ruby coldly replied as she glanced at the gift I was holding.

“Send it back.”

Her reaction was expected.

“...Won’t you at least read the letter?”

“No. Send that back with it.”

See? She’s always like this.

Without even looking in my direction, she continued playing the piano.

Left with no choice, I carried the gift back out of the room.

Merilda, who had been quietly waiting in the hallway, cautiously approached me.

“How did it go...? What did she say this time?”

At her worried question, I sighed and shook my head.

“She said she wouldn’t accept it this year either.”

“Oh dear...”

I could understand why Merilda looked so disheartened in front of me.

Every year, when Ruby rejected the gifts, we had to return them and explain the situation to her parents.

Merilda, now seated at the dining table with a troubled expression, took a sip of her tea and said,

“Well, at least it’s better than last year. Last year, the young lady threw the gift into the trash, and we had such a hard time retrieving it...”

Ah, right. That did happen last year.

If Milk hadn’t rummaged through the trash as usual, we might never have found it.

Listening quietly to Merilda’s words, I asked,

“Merilda, why does the young lady reject gifts like this?”

While she generally refused all gifts, she was particularly sensitive about those from her relatives.

“...The young lady wasn’t like this from the start. When she was five years old, she would actually run up eagerly to open her presents.”

“Ruby? That’s hard to imagine.”

“I know, right? She was much brighter back then.”

“So what changed her into how she is now...?”

“...”

Merilda, reminiscing about the young Ruby, suddenly adopted a heavy expression and said,

“...She stopped checking gifts around her sixth birthday. That year, her mother wrote in a letter saying she would come to see her face.”

Ruby had never seen her parents’ faces before.

Raised in a separate residence by maids since she was weaned, Ruby would receive extravagant birthday gifts from her parents every year.

Always accompanied by a letter promising they would visit next year.

“But her mother never came.”

“What? Not even once?”

“Not once. This pattern has continued to this day, so it’s not surprising she changed.”

Hearing about Ruby’s past made me leap to my feet in frustration.

“My goodness. How could her mother neglect her for 17 years...!”

“...”

I wanted to vent my anger further, but Merilda’s somber expression made me stop.

“...We are only maids employed by them. It’s not our place to meddle in family affairs.”

Come to think of it, during the truth game we played at the retreat, Ruby had said her least favorite thing was her family.

She must have suffered so much over the years.

The young Ruby, who didn’t even know her parents’ faces, was lied to every year.

They sent gifts she didn’t care for, filling her with false hope.

“...It’s already midnight. I should get up now.”

“Yes, Merilda.”

Lost in sad thoughts for a while, I rose from my seat at the sound of the clock striking midnight.

Preparing tea for the master is a small but important task for a maid.

Even when Ruby was at the academy, I never skipped this duty.

I carefully plated the cookies on a luxurious dish and brought them in with freshly brewed tea.

“My lady, I’ve brought tea.”

I said as I stood in front of her door.

Although I was now permitted to freely enter her room, it felt right to keep such courtesies intact.

Before I could open the door, it suddenly burst open, and Ruby stepped out.

“Oh.”

She glanced me over from head to toe, then took one of the plates from me.

“Give me that. It must be heavy.”

“Huh? But this is my job to do...”

“It’s fine. I’m doing it because I want to.”

Today, she was unusually attentive to me.

...Even though it was her birthday.

I walked into the room with Ruby, each of us carrying a plate.

Ruby seated me across from her and carefully set the plates on the table.

“Let’s drink before it gets cold, Amber.”

“...Yes.”

Usually, I would bring only enough tea and snacks for the master, but Ruby had started including me in her tea time at some point.

Because of that, I always prepared enough tea and snacks for the two of us, and chatting with her during tea time had become a regular routine.

“This cookie smells great.”

Ruby admired the scent of the cookie and picked one up.

“...”

Pretending to sip my tea, I closely observed Ruby’s expression.

She took a bite of the cookie, chewed it, and looked slightly surprised.

“...Hmm?”

She seemed puzzled, perhaps noticing the cookie tasted different from the ones she’d had before.

“How is it?”

“It’s delicious. The quality is excellent.”

“...I’m glad to hear that.”

I sighed in relief, seeing her satisfied.

“That cookie, I bought it from a famous shop.”

Ruby raised an eyebrow, looking curious.

“Bought it? Why didn’t you make it yourself, Amber?”

“It’s your birthday. I thought you should at least have something delicious today.”

“...”

Her expression stiffened slightly as she put the cookie down.

She glanced at my hands resting under the table and said,

“Put your hands on the table, Amber.”

“Huh? My hands? Why?”

“Just do it.”

“...”

Reluctantly, I placed my hands on the table.

My unsightly hands, wrapped in layers of bandages, were exposed.

After spending the night kneading dough and wetting my hands, the skin on my fingers had become waterlogged and swollen, forcing me to bandage them.

Ruby stared at my hands without a word, then asked,

“...Why didn’t you put the cookies you made on the table?”

“Well... No matter how many times I tried, they didn’t taste like the ones Diana made...”

I had followed Diana’s recipe, but the flavor never came out the same.

Although the cookies weren’t exactly bad, they weren’t of the quality I thought was fit for her birthday.

“...What did you do with the ones you made?”

“I gathered them in the kitchen to throw them away, but—”

-Creak.

Before I could finish speaking, Ruby pushed her chair back and stood up.

“My lady...? Where are you going?”

Ruby left abruptly, leaving me confused.

A moment later, she returned, holding a large plate piled with my failed cookies.

“Why did you bring that...?”

She sat back down nonchalantly and began stuffing the cookies into her mouth.

“!?”

They were undoubtedly dry, salty, and full of other imperfections.

But Ruby devoured them at an astonishing pace and drank the rest of the tea to wash them down.

“Why did you do that...?”

Ignoring my question, Ruby finished every last crumb and wiped her mouth with a handkerchief.

Then she spoke firmly.

“This is a warning. From now on, don’t throw anything away without my permission.”

She leaned closer, her face near mine, and grabbed my shoulders.

“You’re mine, and everything you make is mine too. Understand?”

“...”

Looking at Ruby as she said this, I felt tears welling up, remembering the struggles of the previous night.

Her stern expression softened as she spoke gently.

“...And I like what you make a million times more than anything from a shop. Got it?”

“...Yes, my lady.”

Hearing my response, Ruby smiled contentedly and nodded, but then she paused, as if remembering something.

“...Oh, right. Now that I think about it, I’m the only one who got something. Wait a second.”

“Huh?”

Ruby met my eyes, then slowly leaned toward me.

What on earth was she planning...?

“...!?”

Her lips, gently closed, touched my cheek lightly.

Pulling back slightly, Ruby’s face flushed as she said,

“...This is a gift for all the effort you’ve put in.”

Hearing those words, my face flushed red.

Even though it was simply returning what I had done to her before, it felt unusually warm.

“For the record, no refunds.”

Ruby, seemingly embarrassed herself, avoided looking directly at me.

Watching her, I smiled faintly and replied,

“...Yes, thank you.”

Ruby returned to her seat, and amidst the awkward silence, she absentmindedly popped one of the cookies I had bought into her mouth.

“Well, they’re definitely well-made, these.”

“Should I buy them more often?”

“...What did you just hear me say, Amber?”

We continued our tea time, exchanging casual jokes.

That day was the first time she hadn’t rejected a gift.

“Yaaawn...”

Though I woke up at dawn to begin my maid duties, my body felt stiff, likely from the lack of sleep over the past few days.

With swollen eyes, I glanced at Ruby, who was sleeping peacefully beside me.

“...!”

Remembering what happened yesterday, my face heated up, and I quickly turned my gaze away.

‘It was just a simple cheek kiss... Don’t overthink it...’

After hurriedly changing clothes, I stepped out into the living room, where Merilda waved me over.

“Amber, you’re up. Could you come here for a moment?”

“Yes?”

Being called so early in the morning, I wondered what was going on.

When I approached, she pulled a letter from her pocket and handed it to me.

“A letter arrived at dawn, and I think it’s for you.”

“It’s not addressed to the young lady?”

“No, the recipient’s name was definitely yours.”

‘Who could it be?’

I couldn’t recall ever receiving a letter before.

I picked up the letter and checked the sender.

‘Coral Hestia.’

The letter was from Coral.