Not the Villainess, but the Maid

Chapter 48: Not Even the Real Fiancée (3)

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“Oh my, you’re here?”

As the door opened, the silver-haired princess greeted us with a smile as if she had been waiting.

The First Princess, Emerald Lupin.

She bore a resemblance to Amethyst in appearance, but her hairstyle and outfit were distinctly different.

Unlike Amethyst, who tied her hair up for a more active look, Emerald's hair was calmly let down, exuding femininity.

While I was trembling, unsure how to greet her, she stood up and approached us first.

“Oh my, you two are so adorable...!”

Emerald spread her arms wide and hugged both me and Amethyst tightly.

“...!”

My face ended up buried against her chest, which peeked out from her dress, and the mix of perfume and something else pleasant invaded my nose.

As Emerald showed no intention of letting us go, Amethyst tapped her vigorously and spoke.

“Sister...! Amber looks uncomfortable...!”

“Oh, my apologies.”

It was only after Amethyst's words that Emerald released us from the hug.

Was the natural flow of physical affection a family trait of theirs?

“You must be tired from the long trip. Please, both of you, sit comfortably.”

She personally pulled out chairs for us, and I politely expressed my thanks before sitting down.

As if they had been waiting for us to arrive, the waiter brought out our meal, and Emerald smiled brightly.

“Sister, it’s been a while since we’ve seen each other, hasn’t it?”

“...Yes.”

“Why the face? On such a wonderful day.”

Amethyst kept her guard up, her expression wary.

Emerald looked at her sister as though finding her adorable, then shifted her gaze to me.

“...”

When her green eyes met mine, I became incredibly tense.

“I heard your name is Amber. Is that correct?”

The sudden question made me reflexively blurt out an answer.

“Yes...!”

“Look at you. Even your nervousness is so adorable.”

Propping her chin on her hand, she stared at me and, with a sly smile, asked a question.

“Amber, what do you like about my Amethyst?”

At Emerald’s question, Amethyst responded, clearly flustered.

“Sister, that’s a bit...”

“Why? Are you embarrassed? You’re lovers, aren’t you?”

“Oh, really...”

“Be honest. Is it her face? Or maybe her chest?”

What I liked about Amethyst...

After hesitating for a while, I finally calmed my nerves and answered.

“Her sincerity... I think.”

Both of them looked at me, surprised by my unexpected answer.

Emerald, however, seemed disappointed it wasn’t the response she had hoped for, and her expression became slightly indifferent.

“What a boring answer.”

After that, I had to endure an onslaught of questions from Emerald.

Questions like whether I thought she or Amethyst was prettier, or how far our relationship had progressed—each one more troublesome than the last.

Just as I felt thoroughly drained, Emerald took a sip of water and turned to Amethyst.

“Sister, why don’t you step outside for a moment to get some air?”

“Huh? Why?”

“I’d like to have a little chat with Amber. Just the two of us. Is that alright?”

At her words, my pupils dilated in panic.

Just the two of us? Without Amethyst...?

“...”

Amethyst glanced at me worriedly, but as if there was nothing she could do, she mouthed, ‘I’m sorry,’ before leaving the room.

As soon as Amethyst left, the atmosphere turned noticeably colder.

An oppressive silence followed.

The barrage of questions from earlier stopped as soon as we were alone.

Feeling uneasy, I looked at Emerald's face, and the playful smile she had been wearing was now completely gone.

“Well then, where should we begin... Maid of the Sarka Family?”

“...!”

How did she know that...?

As I stared at her in shock, she continued speaking nonchalantly.

“There’s no need to hide it anymore. I know you’re not the real fiancée.”

She stood up from her seat and walked towards me, her heels clicking on the floor.

“What’s your real motive for approaching my sister? Money? Fame?”

Then, she slowly draped her arm over my shoulder and asked.

“Or... was it an order from the Sarka Family?”

Her tone was now cold, entirely different from before.

I instinctively realized that a wrong answer here could lead to serious consequences.

Suppressing the trembling of my hands, I quietly opened my mouth.

“I...”

Just as I was about to speak, she interrupted.

“Enough. You don’t have to say it.”

“Pardon?”

Emerald ruffled my hair before returning to her seat.

“Whatever your reason, it’s true that you’re adorable, and Amethyst likes you, doesn’t she? So I’ll let it slide!”

Being called adorable repeatedly was making me unnecessarily self-conscious. I had thought I was sitting there with a serious expression, but apparently not.

Still, I didn’t expect her to let this go so easily.

In fact, I felt the urge to question her.

“...Are you really okay with this? Even though I deceived you, Emerald...?”

“Yes, it’s fine. Even if you’re not the real fiancée, my sister seems fond of you. I don’t see a need to interfere.”

Emerald crossed her legs elegantly and asked me.

“Amber, is there anything you’re curious about? I’ll answer anything right now.”

With Amethyst absent, there was something I absolutely needed to confirm.

I hesitated, unsure if I should bring this up, but there might not be another chance to confirm.

“Actually, I heard about Amethyst’s arranged marriage.”

“...Could you explain in more detail?”

“She told me she wanted to avoid an arranged marriage with a neighboring royal family, so she decided to get engaged to me.”

Emerald looked slightly surprised by my words.

“I didn’t expect her to tell you that much. How unexpected.”

“If I get engaged to her, can Amethyst avoid the arranged marriage?”

In the original story, Amethyst avoided an unwanted marriage by ending up with the protagonist.

But what would happen if that didn’t occur?

Emerald was silent for a moment before suddenly bursting into laughter.

“Is that what you’ve been worrying about? In this situation? You’re so adorable...!”

“...?”

“No wonder Amethyst fell for you...”

She laughed while ruffling my hair vigorously, leaving me bewildered.

“Don’t worry. Even if she were to face an unwanted arranged marriage, I’d stop it—even if it meant giving up my claim to the throne.”

Her words left me wide-eyed, and I asked in shock.

“...Would you really go that far?”

“Well, that’s only if the worst happens. You see, our parents have been deceiving her her whole life. It was a terrible thing to do.”

Amethyst was born as an illegitimate child between the king and a concubine, but this fact was concealed, and she was raised as a princess.

“After what they did, to leave Amethyst with no choice? That’s something I can’t accept.”

Emerald smiled warmly as she spoke.

“I’m her sister. No matter what, her happiness comes first. I just want her to be happy with someone she loves.”

Whether the frightening rumors about her were true or not, her concern for her sister seemed genuine.

To be honest, she didn’t seem like such a scary person after all. Mischievous, perhaps, but not frightening.

“...You’re a really good sister.”

“That’s a bit embarrassing. Don’t tell Amethyst, okay?”

As the atmosphere grew slightly awkward, she spoke again.

“Could you call Amethyst back? She should be waiting outside.”

“Yes.”

When I opened the door, Amethyst was indeed waiting, her face full of annoyance.

“What did you talk about with my sister, Amber?”

“Nothing much.”

“Thank goodness. I thought she might have threatened you or something.”

Not threatened, but I did get thoroughly patted on the head.

“Emerald seems to care a lot about you, Amethyst.”

“...Huh? What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Just something I noticed.”

“What do you mean? You definitely heard something!”

Though she pressed me persistently, I didn’t give her an answer.

The library, usually empty on weekends, was bustling with noise.

“Momo! Don’t forget this needs to be finished today! Pick up the pace!”

“Yes, Miss Clara...!”

In line with Clara’s orders, they were busily working on something.

Despite the rush, Clara kept glancing at the library door, checking for anyone entering.

‘Amber isn’t around this weekend... This is the perfect opportunity...!’

She pulled out a notebook she had received earlier from the members of the Instrumental Club.

The notebook was filled with pages upon pages of statements.

Of course, all of them were fabricated testimonies from the club members.

And every single one pointed blatantly to one person as the culprit.

Ruby Sarka.

‘This is what happens when you don’t change your heart... Ruby...’

Through her time in the club, Clara had come to a painful realization.

No matter how hard she tried, Ruby would never take her eyes off Amber.

Her plan had been doomed to fail from the start.

Now, Clara was preparing to spread papers filled with false accusations, collected from dozens of fabricated testimonies, all over the school.

Originally meant to frame Amber, the accusations were now aimed squarely at her mistress, Ruby Sarka.

‘If you refuse to change your heart, then I have no choice but to take this route.’

For Clara, who sought to gain influence over the academy’s hidden powers, Ruby Sarka had become nothing more than an obstacle.

If Ruby were put on trial and met a bad end, Amber would naturally disappear along with her.

‘I’ll make you both pay for looking down on me all this time.’

Thanks to the unanimous agreement of the Instrumental Club members, the fabricated testimonies were solid.

All that was left was to distribute the papers, detailing crimes Ruby never committed, across the school.

With her hatred fueling her resolve, Clara bit her nails, but a voice interrupted from behind.

“Um... Miss Clara?”

“Yes, what is it?”

“If the plan succeeds, what will happen to the club?”

“It’ll obviously end. The club president will be gone, and we’ll be short on members.”

“Then we won’t be able to have tea and cookies anymore...”

“...”

As Momo made a disappointed face, Clara averted her gaze and coldly replied.

“If you have time to talk nonsense, get back to work and finish one more sheet. Momo.”

“...Yes, I’m sorry, Miss Clara.”

Clara forced herself to suppress the cracks forming in her hatred.

‘If I falter here, I’ll accomplish nothing...’

Determined to take revenge on the two, she clenched her teeth tightly.