Volume 1 Chapter 20 Mean Villainess, Running Wild
"...Servant. I have a command for you, would you listen to it?"
"If it's a command, I would appreciate it if you could just give it without hesitation."
"...Yeah. You know, if anything happens to you, don't hesitate to rely on me at that time. And, please don't keep secrets. And then... don't leave me."
Because I don't want to lose you.
"A command, you say?"
"That's right, a command. Because... because you see, if Rolus isn't by my side, there's no way to recover those 20 thousand points, right?"
I glanced at Rolus's incredulous gaze and diverted my eyes as if to brush it off.
Because I can't say what I truly feel.
No, I can't say it.
I have no idea how to explain that, as my mother said, Rolus might be gone by the time the heroine arrives.
"I see. With all due respect, Lady, if you're calling it a command, how about speaking in a more commanding tone?"
"A commanding tone..."
"Otherwise, what you just said just sounds like a request."
"Oh, I see. So, um, ah! If anything happens to you, report to me. Also, if you keep any secrets, I won't forgive you. And... ah, stay by my side. Is that everything?"
──Did I sound authoritative enough?
I sent a hopeful glance towards Rolus, but his expression seemed a bit exasperated.
"I'll give you 3 points extra."
Yay! Extra points!
I thought so, but only 3 points.
Returning 20 thousand points is impossible for a lifetime at this pace.
"Are you seriously going to talk back to me? If you had simply said 'that,' I could have given you a hundred points."
"Huh!?"
Is it really that easy to get a hundred points!?
That's not what I'm looking for; I don't want to have a silly conversation like this with Rolus.
I'm just genuinely worried about Rolus, but it feels like my concerns aren't getting through.
"...I'm worried about Rolus."
"Are you worried?"
"Yeah, well, you know, about that Healing Magic we studied yesterday. You just read the textbook and didn't actually learn it from the teacher, right? So, you're behind and problems might come up later."
"Nope."
That's right.
"Fine, I don't care anymore."
Such a stubborn Rolus.
But it's not like I can say that when I haven't even expressed my true feelings.
"...Worrying about a servant? That's a 3-point deduction."
"Now! It's increased! Three points! It's gone down!"
What the heck!!
That morning, it had been a day since the magical depletion incident, and I was having such a conversation with Rolus.
After a night of sleep, I had completely recovered, feeling no effects from the magical depletion.
The jacket that Rolus had borrowed from Sir Lorentz was washed clean by the servants last night.
Since Rudger had just placed an order, I was thinking of bringing extra cookies to Sir Lorentz as an apology for yesterday.
"Hey, Rolus, try this!"
"Mmm!"
While I shoved it into my mouth without hesitation, I thought that when my mother said, "Handle it the way I taught you," it was probably meant to prevent me from getting too attached when the time of parting eventually comes, so I figured treating him like a Servant isn't necessarily a must for a Mean Villainess.
"But you know..., is it good?"
Rolus is the type who quickly suppresses his own feelings and puts up with everything, so there are parts where I have to be a bit forceful.
If I coddle him too much, he would probably dislike that as well.
"Yes..., it's very good."
"Alright, then the apology gift is all set. After school today, I'll go and hand over my coat and these cookies, so Rolus, you'll come with me, right?"
"Yes."
Since the coat is something I borrowed, Rolus seems to want to return it himself.
Having roughly planned out the after-school schedule, this conversation came to an end.
* * *
And then it was lunchtime.
While handing cookies to Rudger, I casually talked about what had happened yesterday.
By the way, I had prepared cookies for Leve too, anticipating that Rudger would start eating them here, since we always have lunch together.
"Since Rudger called Sir Lorentz a strange guy, Rolus was worried and came all the way to the backyard."
"Oh, is that so? Well, from my perspective, an unfamiliar man was taking Elena away, so I can't say I was wrong, right?"
But if you put it that way, I can't think of a comeback.
It's my fault for not explaining things properly.
"Thanks to Lord Rudger, the Lady was able to avoid injury. Thank you very much."
In return for Rolus' polite bow, Rudger only smiled without saying anything.
"But you know, I was completely unscathed, but Rolus had his entire back burned, you know?"
"The entire back? Well, that's quite a serious injury. Are you okay, Rolus?"
"I had Healing Magic cast on me by the Lady."
While Rudger gaped in surprise, Rolus answered calmly.
However, it seems that Rudger's doubts haven't been cleared because it really does sound like a serious injury.
"Rolus insists that he's fine."
"Rolus, just because Elena is your employer, saying you're fine when you're clearly not is wrong."
Rudger is saying what I've been thinking.
"Keep saying more, Rudger."
Rolus, who flinched at the double attack from me and Rudger, sent a glance towards Leve, who was munching on cookies, trying to ask for help.
Noticing this, Leve muttered softly, "Huh, me?" and forced a wry smile.
"Well, well. It's true that Rolus tends to be too reserved sometimes, but it's not like he means any harm or is trying to trouble Elena, right?"
In response to Leve's question, Rolus nodded repeatedly.
"I get that, but when I'm told that things that aren't okay are fine, it makes me a little lonely."
I feel like I'm being seen as someone not worth consulting, just a bit.
As he continued, Rolus froze, looking as if he'd just been dealt a blow.
His mouth was half open, so Leve gently stuffed a cookie in it.
* * *
Then came after school.
"Leve, I'm going to talk to Sir Lorentz about the thing I mentioned earlier for a bit."
"Okay, got it. I'll wait while getting the board games ready."
"Thanks."
With that, I rushed to pick up Rolus before hurrying to Sir Lorentz.
I hoped he would still be in the classroom, and when I peeked in, there he was.
He was there, but...
"It seems he's talking to the teacher."
"It does seem that way."
Sir Lorentz was having a one-on-one conversation with a teacher.
Since this teacher was for the grade above, I didn't know what subject they taught.
I thought I'd quietly wait in the hallway, but for some reason, my ears were following Sir Lorentz's voice.
"I won't make excuses. I will accept the punishment properly."
It seems that Sir Lorentz is being scolded.
I wonder what on earth that serious-looking Sir Lorentz did to get in trouble.
"Well, there's no escaping the punishment. I don't know the reason, but you used Attack Magic to injure someone."
Ah, I see!
That involves me too!
I think it's unfair for only Sir Lorentz to receive punishment for this.
Since Sir Lorentz said he won't make excuses, there's a good chance he hasn't mentioned our names.
"Um, Sir Lorentz is not at fault."
"Ah, Rolus."
Rolus, who must have come to the same conclusion as me during this whole situation, couldn't hold back and called out to the teacher.
"Rolus!"
"Who is it?"
Before I could step into the classroom, hesitating whether it was okay or not, I decided to go in ahead of Rolus, who was hesitating.
"Excuse me. My name is Elena Alfano, a first-year student. I'm related to the incident caused by Sir Lorentz."
As I said that, one of the teacher's eyebrows twitched up.
Wait, I just noticed, this teacher has an incredibly beautiful face.
The lines of his nose and jaw are so perfectly sculpted that they could be the work of a master sculptor, and his luxurious red hair and even deeper red eyes are so beautiful they seem like the embodiment of rubies.
"Oh, so you're involved?"
And his voice is incredibly nice.
No matter whether this is an RPG world or an action game world, he is either a protagonist or a major character who might become more popular than the protagonist!
I don't know about the world of otome games though!
In the stories my mother talked about regarding this world, there was no mention of a teacher, so I wonder if this person is just a mob character.
What a waste.
"...Ellie"
"...Ah! No, um, I happened to hear the voice while I was in the hallway, and I thought it was odd that only Sir Lorentz should receive the punishment..."
"So, you were the one who got hurt?"
His voice is nice.
"No, it was my attendant who got injured."
"Hmm. Well, have a seat."
His voice is really nice.
The teacher seated me and Rolus in the available seats.
"Well, Teacher, Ellie was just made to practice my Attack Magic, so it's not her fault at all. I think it's fine if I just get punished alone."
Hearing Sir Lorentz's words, the teacher frowned slightly.
It's terrifying how even a frown looks good on him.
"So you were made to participate in Lorentz's Attack Magic, huh? Is Elena choosing Attack Magic?"
"Your voice──oh, no. I'm choosing Healing Magic and Divination Magic."
I almost blurted out that it sounded good.
"So, does that mean Lorentz practiced with someone who hasn't even learned Attack Magic?"
"No way, that's impossible."
Before Sir Lorentz could deny it, those words spilled out of my mouth.
After all, there's no way I would be a target.
I'm not that much of a masochist.
"So, what does that mean?"
"Sir Lorentz showed me the textbook and I read it thoroughly."
"And you skipped the basics of Attack Magic that first-year students learn, and learned the techniques you only saw in the textbook without even learning from the teacher?"
"...Yes. Ultimately, it was a mock battle using illusion soldier techniques."
When I answered honestly like that, the teacher burst out laughing in a really good voice.
I don't know what was so funny, but I thought I should laugh along with the teacher, and then suddenly, his face returned to a serious expression.
"I see, I got it. You'll be punished too. If anything, it was you who might have caused a more serious accident than Lorentz, Elena."
"Ah, yes, I'm sorry."
Honestly, it's true that I got carried away because the content of the Attack Magic textbook I saw for the first time seemed really interesting.
"Well, I like someone who apologizes honestly without making excuses. I like you. I'll prepare a special punishment for you. We'll have an extra class after school in 3 days. Make sure to keep your schedule clear."
Looking at the teacher's eyes, which were smiling, I felt a little flustered.
People with good looks even make bad expressions look beautiful.
"...So, Elena's Attendant, you don't seem to be a student."
"Yes. However, I have also caused trouble."
"You must have gotten hurt, right? Was it a burn? There's no way you'd be healed by today. Doesn't it hurt?"
"Lady cast Healing Magic on me. There aren't even any scars left."
Hearing Rolus's words, the teacher's expression froze completely.
"Elena, are you in your second year as a first-year?"
"Ah, yes, I understand what you're trying to say, so let me say this. I cast a strong Healing Magic that I haven't learned yet just by reading the textbook!"
When I answered clearly, the teacher burst out laughing again in a very loud voice, and this time he never regained his straight face.
* * *
After that, when the teacher returned to the staff room, Rolus was returning the jacket he had borrowed yesterday to Sir Lorentz.
"Sorry for dragging you into the punishment, both of you."
"No, no. I'd actually hate it more if Sir Lorentz was the only one facing punishment without my knowing. Oh, and here, these are cookies as an apology."
"Wow, thank you! They smell great."
Since he happily accepted them, it seems he doesn't dislike them.
"Hehe. Well then, Sir Lorentz, let's meet again in 3 days for the extracurricular class."
"Yeah, sorry about that. See you."
After parting with Sir Lorentz, Rolus and I hurried toward Leve.
Since the conversation took longer than expected, we ended up keeping her waiting.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, Leve."
"Did you manage to give him the jacket?"
"I did! And by the way, because of what happened yesterday, it turns out I have to attend the extracurricular class this time as punishment."
As I explained the whole situation while laughing, Leve chuckled in disbelief.
Afterward, we enjoyed playing the board game Leve had prepared, and now we are on our way home.
"I should probably report about the extracurricular class to Mother too."
"That sounds good."
I hope she will mumble something about that teacher being a background character when I report it.
There's no way such a beautiful face and great voice (character design) wouldn't be in the game.
If they weren't even a mob character, it would be such a waste of a good-looking guy for an otome game, as well as a waste of the voice actor.
After all, his voice is super nice.
Feeling a little excited, I returned home and found my mother near the entrance.
"Oh, welcome back, Elena. Were you able to return the coat to Sir Lorentz?"
"Yes. Actually, I talked to the teacher about that, and I've arranged to take an extra class after school this time."
"Extra class?"
My mother looked puzzled and repeated my words in her mind.
"It seems Sir Lorentz reported what happened yesterday to the Attack Magic teacher, and he said there would be a penalty, so I also..."
"The Attack Magic teacher? What's his name?"
Ah, I messed up.
I totally forgot to ask for the teacher's name.
How careless!
"I forgot to ask for his name. He was a teacher with beautiful red hair."
As I casually provided his features, my mother was staring wide-eyed.
He's definitely there.
That teacher is in the game, for sure.
"I see. Got it. Just make sure you don't cause any trouble for the teacher, okay?"
The mother who said that turned on her heel and headed toward the dining room.
'The teacher with red hair... a hidden character, um, the teacher and the villainess... um, I've never seen them interact in the original work... um, the original...'
Wow, that's something a hardcore fan of the original work would say.
Wait, was that a hidden character?
I knew it, his face and voice were great.
"Lady, is everything alright with you? You seemed a bit unsteady."
"I should be fine, probably."
Though I might be a bit mentally unstable.
"Well then, let's go to the room, Rolus. I'm tired."
Today was quite a busy day, wasn't it?
Please bookmark this series and rate ☆☆☆☆☆ on here!
Donate me
Support Me with USDC
(ERC20)
Support Me with XLM
(Stellar Lumens)