Not the Villainess, but the Maid

Chapter 6: Awakening, and a Strange Connection

I awakened my magical ability overnight.

While I was asleep, I felt static electricity in my blanket and woke up startled, only to realize I had awakened the magic of lightning.

‘Wow…’

It was such a pitiful awakening event.

They said that the recoil during magic awakening varies depending on one’s potential.

Since mine ended with static electricity, it was clear that my potential was significantly low.

‘I never thought I’d awaken before Ruby.’

Curious about what I could do with lightning magic, I rummaged through the library and found an old magic book.

Since I couldn’t read all the characters yet, I relied on the words I knew to find magic I could try.

As a result, the only things I could manage were nameless basic actions that were embarrassing to even classify as magic.

“Hyap!”

Focusing my mind and channeling power to my fingertips, tiny sparks crackled out.

‘Is this for real…?’

Although it stung when it touched the skin, this wouldn’t even catch a monster or a single bug.

Because it looked like welding, I arbitrarily named this skill “Welding.”

The second skill was slightly more impressive.

By concentrating mana throughout my body and releasing it at once, my body emitted light, briefly illuminating the dark room.

‘This is unmistakably that…’

I decided to name this skill “Solar Flare,” borrowing from a famous comic.

Looking at it now, both skills were undeniably useless.

Not that I’d have any use for them anyway.

That day, I went to the market with Merilda, the head maid.

It was my first outing since becoming an exclusive maid.

“Do you understand, Amber? When choosing ingredients, freshness should always be the top priority.”

Merilda said this as she pointed to two similar-looking fish with her hand.

“Can you tell the difference between these two fish?”

“…They look the same to me.”

“They are different! Just by looking at the scales, you can tell the one on the left is much fresher!”

Merilda explained fervently, nearly losing her temper, but honestly, I still couldn’t tell.

As she continued scolding me, a robust man across the street at the fruit stall shouted.

“Hey there, miss! Take a look at the new fruit we just got!”

“Shall we? Oh my, these seasonal fruits look amazing…”

I stood behind Merilda, who was admiring the fruits, and observed the market.

‘…The market in this fantasy world isn’t as special as I thought.’

Even though it was part of a game, it didn’t seem very different from reality.

Then it happened.

“Eek!”

A sudden chase unfolded in the middle of the bustling market.

‘What the…’

The pursued was a child wearing strange clothing, being chased by men in black robes.

They quickly disappeared into an alley between the buildings.

‘Is this a crime scene…?’

Even if it wasn’t a crime, something was definitely happening.

As Merilda was still engrossed in conversation with the fruit vendor, I quietly slipped away and cautiously approached the alley.

There, two men in dark outfits were surrounding the child.

The men were saying something to the child, spreading their arms as if to grab hold of them.

“No!”

Hearing the child shout as they were cornered, I was sure it was a dangerous situation.

‘What should I do…?’

I was only a young girl, around 13 years old.

If I intervened clumsily, I might end up in danger myself.

In times like this, it was wise to involve a third party.

I cupped my hands around my mouth and shouted loudly toward the entrance of the alley.

“Help! There are thugs here…!”

Passersby began to turn their heads toward the alley.

The startled thugs looked at me with panicked eyes.

“Who… who are you?!”

They glared at me with murderous intent.

‘So scary!’

But if I backed down now, I might miss the chance to save that child.

I racked my brain to think of the best move I could make.

‘That’s it, I’ll use that…’

Bringing my hands together, I spread mana throughout my body.

In an instant, my body emitted a blinding light that lit up the dark alley.

‘Take this, my ultimate move!’

I called it 『Solar Flare』.

The men, who had been staring at me, were momentarily blinded by the dazzling light and covered their eyes.

“Ack, my eyes…!”

‘Now’s my chance!’

Taking advantage of the moment, I grabbed the child’s hand and sprinted out of the alley.

We ran for quite a while and only managed to catch our breath after reaching a crowded area.

“…Are you okay?”

After calming my breathing, I asked the mysterious child.

Upon closer inspection, they were wearing a unique outfit, with their face hidden under a robe and cloth, revealing only their eyes.

“Yeah, thanks to you, I’m safe!”

The child answered cheerfully, and then removed the robe and cloth covering their face.

‘A girl…?’

Her silver ponytail was revealed.

When I had only seen her eyes, I hadn’t noticed, but now I saw that she was quite beautiful.

She gazed at me with her violet eyes shining.

Should I say her aura felt mysterious? She had a charm distinctly different from Ruby or Dia.

“What’s your name?”

When I asked for her name, she hesitated for a moment before introducing herself.

“…Ame. My name is Ame!”

‘Ame?’

It felt a bit strange but oddly familiar.

“I’m Amber. I’m 13.”

“Really? Then we’re friends!”

Ame brought her sparkling violet eyes so close to me that her nose almost touched mine.

“Thank you for helping me, Amber.”

It was clear from her appearance and attire that she wasn’t an ordinary girl with a simple background.

“So, why were you being chased? Who were those people earlier?”

At my question, she scratched her face as if it was nothing and answered.

“Well… you could say they’re a little obsessed with me… But it’s okay now!”

“…Are you sure you’re really okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine.”

She laughed innocently, as if she’d already erased the memory of being chased from her mind.

“More importantly, let’s explore the market together. I know a fun place.”

“Explore the market?”

I was curious, but Merilda was probably frantically searching for me.

“I don’t think I can… I have someone with me.”

“…Can’t you stay with me just a little longer? I’ve always wanted a friend.”

“…You always wanted a friend?”

“Yeah. You’re my first friend, Amber!”

Hearing her say such a sad thing so nonchalantly made me feel like crying a little.

“…Alright. But just for a little while.”

“Okay!”

Ame seemed completely fearless, so much so that it was hard to believe she’d been in danger just moments ago.

She led me to various places in the market, including shady shops selling monster materials, weapon stores, and even gambling dens—dangerous spots she seemed completely familiar with.

I followed her and experienced several areas of the market.

“Amber, look at this. Do I look like a knight?”

She asked, wearing a helmet twice the size of her head in the weapon shop.

“You look more like a monster than a knight.”

“What? That’s so mean! Haha.”

She then took the helmet she was wearing and placed it on my head.

“Wow… You really do look like a monster now!”

“Right?”

Her innocent laughter made me smile without realizing it.

Despite her delicate appearance, Ame had a very peculiar taste.

“Amber, let’s check this place out too.”

She stopped in front of a suspicious-looking street stall and pointed at skewers made of unknown monster materials.

“Two of these, please!”

Ame handed me one of the skewers after receiving them.

“Here, this one’s yours, Amber.”

“Thanks.”

Up close, the monster skewer dish looked even more grotesque, with unidentifiable parts wrapped around each other—possibly eyeballs or octopus legs.

‘Is this even edible…?’

Ame bit into hers without hesitation.

“So, how is it, Ame?”

“It’s awful. Tastes like rotten rubber.”

She spat it out and grabbed my hand to drag me away.

“Let’s check out that place!”

This time, she led me to a gambling den filled with rough-looking men. It was definitely not a place for kids like us.

“Let me join!”

“Get lost. This isn’t a spot for brats like you. Got any money for snacks at least?”

The men laughed as they looked at us, but Ame took out coins from her pocket and asked.

“Will this do?”

“…”

The men who had been mocking us stopped laughing.

“…Just don’t cry if you lose. We won’t give you your money back.”

Despite the odds clearly being against her, she participated in a shady game and won three rounds in a row.

“Hooray! I won, Amber.”

‘…Who is this girl, really?’

And where did she get that money from earlier?

She was full of mysteries.

After a whirlwind tour of the market, I was completely drained and declared a break.

“Time out…! I’m exhausted!”

“Really? Then let’s rest for a bit.”

Ame set down the assortment of random items she had been carrying in her arms.

Despite exploring nearly every corner of the market, she didn’t look tired at all.

Watching her, I couldn’t help but remark in admiration.

“Ame, you have incredible stamina.”

“Really? I’m not usually like this.”

She smiled faintly and added.

“I guess I didn’t realize how much time had passed playing with you, Amber.”

“…For someone saying that, you still look so energetic.”

As soon as we stopped to rest, I felt how much my weaker stamina lagged behind hers.

While I leaned against the alley to catch my breath, Ame looked at me and spoke.

“…Thanks, Amber. I had so much fun because of you.”

“…Really? All I did was follow you around.”

“No, I really enjoyed it.”

She moved her face close to mine before saying.

“You know, Amber, you’re really kind.”

“…Me?”

“And every one of your reactions is just adorable.”

She had leaned in so close it felt slightly dangerous.

“Ame, hold on. You’re too close…”

“See? Your ears are bright red right now.”

Ame’s face was so close that I could feel her breath.

“Why on earth… would you say that…?”

“…”

Just as the atmosphere was becoming a little strange, I heard voices behind me.

“There she is! She’s with that girl from earlier!”

The two men in black outfits who had surrounded Ame earlier appeared and closed in on us from both sides.

‘This is bad. We’ve been surrounded…!’

“…”

She stood silently, her expression stiff.

As I was trying to think of a way to escape, one of the men spoke with a troubled voice.

“It’s time to return, Princess Amethyst!”

When he shouted, the surrounding area became eerily quiet.

‘…Princess?’

Ame let out a small sigh and willingly moved toward them.

“…Ah. I wanted to play a little longer.”

Feeling like I had just heard an unbelievable word, I asked her.

“…Ame, what do they mean by ‘princess’?”

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to deceive you.”

She bowed to me with a formal greeting.

“Allow me to reintroduce myself. I am Amethyst Lupine, the second princess of the kingdom.”

‘The second princess…?’

No wonder she had seemed familiar.

She was Amethyst Lupine, one of the main heroines of Chronicles of Magical Lily.

The second princess, Amethyst, was famous for being a heroine with a high difficulty level in the early stages of the game.

As royalty, the protagonist, with their low stats at the beginning of the game, couldn’t even talk to her easily.

However, once you became close, her friendly personality and proactive nature made it easy to raise her affection quickly.

Ame looked at the men in black and spoke.

“Give me a moment. I’ll follow you quietly.”

“…Thank you. We’ll be in trouble if you’re late again.”

Then, she turned back to me with a bright smile and tilted her head.

“I like you, Amber. Even though we just met today, I can tell you’re a really good person.”

She grabbed my hands and said.

“Amber, be my fiancée.”

“…What?”

I was being proposed to by someone I’d just met—and only spent half a day with.

“I promise to make you happy.”

By none other than a main heroine.

“…Ame, I’m a girl, you know?”

“Yeah, I know!”

“I’m a commoner too…”

“That’s fine. If you marry me, you’ll become royalty.”

What she was saying wasn’t entirely impossible.

The game I had reincarnated into was a yuri game, where same-sex marriages were allowed.

Of course, there were still a few characters with prejudices, but overall, the game’s standards were far more lenient than in reality.

“My mother always told me to find a brave and kind spouse.”

“And you think I fit that description?”

“Yeah. Plus, you’re cute, Amber.”

Amethyst Lupine, the second princess, likely enjoyed more freedom due to being one step removed from the throne.

But for her to choose a commoner like me as a fiancé instead of a noble?

Something was definitely not right.

“…”

When I hesitated to respond, she looked at me with slightly sad eyes.

“…Amber, do you dislike me?”

Feeling flustered, I shook my head.

“No, it’s not that. I don’t dislike you, but it’s just too early to decide on something like an engagement…”

I didn’t want to recklessly accept an engagement with royalty and end up causing trouble for Ruby.

“That’s okay. I promise not to do anything weird until we’re adults!”

That wasn’t what I meant by “too early.”

“Ame, listen. I’m a maid. I belong to a family and have a master to serve.”

She tilted her head in curiosity and asked.

“Oh? Which family?”

“…The Sarka Family.”

“I see…”

After a brief silence, Ame smiled regretfully.

“That’s unfortunate. I guess it can’t be helped!”

Surprisingly, she gave up easily.

Considering her status, I thought she might insist more, but she let it go gracefully.

“Thanks for spending time with me.”

“Yeah, you too.”

As she turned to leave, Ame glanced back at me and said.

“See you again soon, Amber.”

‘See me again…?’

Waving her hand, Ame seemed even happier than when I first met her.

Standing alone in the middle of the market, I suddenly remembered something I’d forgotten.

‘That’s right, Merilda…!’

I rushed back to her, only to be scolded to tears for leaving for hours.

I got a severe lecture that was more than deserved.

I didn’t tell anyone—not even Merilda—that a princess had proposed to me.

It felt so surreal that it might as well have been a dream.

And so, my strange encounter with her came to an end—for now.