Not the Villainess, but the Maid

Chapter 17: Join a Club!

There were a total of 11 clubs within the academy.

Joining a club would grant bonuses to specific stats, but naturally, there were conditions for entry.

One could only join a club if they met the requirements of the specific stat the club emphasized, and once joined, switching clubs was not allowed for a year.

In the original game, Chronicles of Magical Lily, the protagonist’s first-year story was the primary focus, effectively making it impossible to change clubs.

Among the 11 unique clubs, most players prioritized the student council.

This was because it boosted all stats, and more importantly, the title of “Student Council Member” carried prestige wherever one went.

The problem was that the entry requirements for the student council were brutal.

Being in the top 10% of grades was a basic requirement, but my current grades were barely above the bottom 10%.

When Ruby and I stepped into the hallway, it was bustling with fellow first-year students.

‘What’s going on?’

The students seated at the makeshift tables scattered throughout the corridor were wearing different-colored ties, indicating they were upperclassmen.

A female student seated at one of the tables spotted us and spoke.

“Freshmen, why don’t you stop by the Gardening Club?”

“Um, we were just…”

As we showed hesitation, a student at the table opposite joined the conversation.

“Instead of such a boring club, why not check out our Equestrian Club?”

“What did you just say, boring club? Care to repeat that?”

“If the Gardening Club isn’t boring, then what is it? All you do is water plants all day.”

“And what about your Equestrian Club? How do you deal with the smell of horse dung that clings to your clothes? I bet it’s hard to wash out.”

“H-Horse dung…!?”

As the two upperclassmen seemed ready to start a war with us caught in the middle, I linked arms with Ruby and whispered to her.

“It seems this is going to get messy. Let’s use this chance to slip away, my lady.”

“…Okay.”

Walking down the hallway with her, we encountered a scene where club leaders from various clubs were fiercely vying for the attention of new students.

Even a commoner like me received active recruitment efforts, so it was only natural that noble daughters of distinguished families would be targeted even more fervently.

“Aren’t those people over there Diana and Amethyst?”

As expected, the two of them were surrounded by club leaders trying their hardest to win them over.

Clearly uncomfortable with the attention, the two spotted us and lit up before heading in our direction.

“Ruby, Amber!”

Amethyst managed to shake off the leaders and rushed toward us, with Diana following close behind.

“It’s so good to see you two.”

Confused by the scene, I asked them what was going on.

“What’s happening here? The upperclassmen seem desperate to recruit us.”

Diana kindly smiled and explained.

“Today is the one day of the year when clubs are allowed to actively recruit members.”

‘Recruiting members?’

Ah, so that’s what this was about.

This must be the in-game “Club Tutorial” brought to life.

It was a system designed to give players a chance to experience various clubs before committing to one.

Of course, just expressing interest didn’t mean immediate acceptance, but leaving a good impression on a club leader could provide significant bonuses later when fulfilling club requirements.

Looking visibly exhausted from fending off club leaders, Amethyst turned to me with a question.

“By the way, Amber, have you thought about which club you’d like to join?”

“Me? I…”

Ruby, Diana, and Amethyst were all looking at me expectantly.

“I plan to go wherever Lady Ruby chooses.”

“…”

In the awkward silence that followed, Amethyst was the first to break it.

“Well, I guess that makes sense… Amber is Ruby’s maid, after all.”

Diana chimed in agreement with her words.

“You’re right. We asked something obvious, didn’t we…!”

As I stood there, puzzled by their reactions, Ruby tightened her grip on my arm and flashed a composed smile at the two of them.

Looking around the hallway, Diana spoke to us.

“Since we’re already here, why don’t we take a tour and look around?”

“That sounds great. I’ve been curious about some of the clubs myself.”

Everyone, including me, agreed to her suggestion, and the four of us decided to explore the various clubs within the academy.

If we wandered around enough, we’d probably find a club that suited Ruby’s preferences.

The first place we visited was the Kendo Club.

True to its reputation, the club exuded a serious and disciplined atmosphere, fitting for people deeply passionate about swordsmanship.

A short-haired woman spotted us and introduced herself.

“Welcome to the Kendo Club. Here, we respect the skills of our opponents, whether they are commoners or nobles.”

‘Wow, it feels like an NPC come to life.’

Watching her deliver her lines with ease, I couldn’t help but be quietly impressed.

Unlike Ruby, who stood with a disinterested expression, Amethyst’s eyes sparkled as she wandered around the dojo.

‘That’s right, Amethyst joined the Kendo Club in the original story.’

As someone deeply devoted to swordsmanship, she seemed to take a liking to this club.

Diana must have noticed this as well, smiling as she spoke to Amethyst.

“Amethyst, it looks like you like the Kendo Club, don’t you?”

“It’s amazing. A place where I can cross swords with so many skilled people—it’s incredible.”

The Kendo Club captain, observing Amethyst, spoke confidently.

“You seem quite skilled yourself. Why don’t you take a recommendation letter?”

“A recommendation letter…”

“If you do well, you might even become the next club captain after me.”

Amethyst’s eyes lit up at the mention of becoming the next captain.

Watching this, I turned to Ruby and asked her as well.

“What do you think of this place, my lady? Personally, I’d like all three of you to join the same club if possible.”

Ruby yawned lightly and replied immediately.

“Not interested.”

“…Well, then I guess there’s no choice. Amethyst will take the recommendation letter alone for the Kendo Club…”

Hearing my words, Amethyst quickly shook her head and protested.

“Wait…! We still have more clubs to check out, don’t we?”

“Really? But I thought you wanted to join the Kendo Club…”

“What are you talking about? Learning swordsmanship in class is more than enough.”

Strange.

In the original story, Amethyst definitely joined the Kendo Club.

Well, just like Ruby, who had changed so much from the game, perhaps she had also undergone some changes.

“…Alright then. Let’s keep looking around.”

As we left the Kendo Club together, Ruby exchanged glances with Amethyst and remarked.

“How unexpected, Amethyst. Turning down even the swordsmanship you love so much.”

“Well… It’s better to take a thorough look, isn’t it?”

“That’s such a transparent lie…”

A subtle tension lingered between the two.

After that, we continued exploring various clubs indoors, but Ruby’s reactions were mostly indifferent.

Since Ruby liked playing the piano, I thought she might enjoy a music-related club, but she didn’t seem interested in participating with others, preferring to play alone.

Failing repeatedly to find a club that suited her taste, we decided to step outside for some fresh air.

‘What’s this? The stables are open?’

The stables, which were usually off-limits except for authorized personnel, were strangely open today.

“The stables are open. Shall we take a look?”

Curious about the horses visible in the distance, we approached, and the head of the Equestrian Club, whom we had seen earlier in the morning, greeted us.

“Ah, it’s you freshmen again. Did you decide to take a look around?”

“Yes, we thought we’d stop by for a moment.”

“Of course. You’re always welcome here.”

Following the captain’s lead, we got to experience various activities.

We fed the horses apples and carrots, sometimes startling when they licked our hands, and learned how expressive and emotional they could be.

It was a surprisingly educational experience, though Ruby didn’t seem particularly engaged.

When we were almost out of feed for the horses, the captain spoke to us.

“It’d be a shame to let such special visitors leave without a proper experience. Would you like to ride the horses, freshmen?”

“Um, I’ve never ridden a horse before…”

“Don’t worry. I’ll lead the horse and keep an eye on you. Everyone will get a turn, right?”

The others seemed to agree, and we followed the captain to a fenced field.

“You’ll ride in pairs. One person holds onto the waist of the person in front of them.”

“Won’t the horse feel heavy with two people?”

“Two of you won’t be a problem. They’d only tire if they had to go back and forth repeatedly. So, who’s going first?”

Amethyst was the quickest to mount a horse, reaching out her hand to me.

“Come on, Amber. I’ve ridden many times at the palace, so I’m confident about guiding the horse.”

“Then I’ll ride with you, Amethyst…”

Just as I was about to take Amethyst’s hand, Ruby quickly took my place and climbed up.

“I’ll ride with you, Amber.”

“What? You will, my lady?”

With Amethyst now holding Ruby at her waist, she forced a strained smile and asked Ruby.

“…Ruby? I believe this spot was for Amber.”

“Oh dear. Are you disappointed because it’s me? That’s too bad.”

“…”

The horse carrying the two of them started moving first, leaving Diana and me awkwardly standing behind.

Diana gave me an embarrassed smile and spoke.

“It looks like it’s just the two of us, Amber. Shall we?”

“Yes!”

For some reason, these kinds of activities always seemed to pair me with Diana.

The horse carrying us started moving slowly under the captain’s escort, and I sat in the back, holding onto Diana’s waist.

As I hesitantly held on, Diana turned her head and spoke to me.

“You can hold on tighter. It could be dangerous if you fall.”

“Yes, I will…”

Riding the horse was fun, except for the bouncing.

When I first rode one in a place like Jeju Island, I had been too nervous to enjoy it, but this time, I felt much more at ease.

Was it because someone was riding with me?

As I awkwardly held onto Diana’s waist, I quietly admired her beautiful blonde hair swaying in the breeze as we strolled through the field.

As I immersed myself in the moment, Diana spoke to me in her clear and gentle voice.

“Being like this makes me feel like all the fatigue has disappeared.”

“Right? It’s like receiving energy from nature or something.”

“I wouldn’t say it’s because of nature, but either way, I feel good.”

Watching Diana’s shy smile made me smile without even realizing it.

She gave me a soft smile, then turned her head slightly and spoke.

“It’d be nice if every day could be this peaceful…”

“What are you saying? Everyone’s living peacefully like this, aren’t they? You, me, all of us.”

“…Right? I guess I said something unnecessary.”

I brushed it off casually, but there was something oddly unsettling about what she had said.

“The breeze feels so nice, Amber.”

“…Yes.”

Still, as the refreshing breeze from the field surrounded me, those uneasy feelings drifted away.

After finishing all the club trials, we gathered together and looked at Ruby.

“So, Lady Ruby, was there a club that caught your interest?”

Everyone’s gaze focused on Ruby, who took a long time to think before answering.

“There wasn’t.”

“What?”

We all stared at her in confusion.

“Are you saying you won’t participate in any club activities?”

“No, it’s not that. There just wasn’t a club I liked.”

“Then, what do you plan to do…?”

Come to think of it, there was one club we hadn’t visited yet.

‘Could it be… is she planning to join the Student Council?’

A group that was rarely accessible to ordinary students, made up of only the top-ranking ones.

Knowing Ruby’s nature of aiming higher than everyone else, it wouldn’t be surprising if she had her sights set on the Student Council.

Ruby suddenly produced a sheet of paper from who-knows-where, held it up to us, and declared.

“Let’s make a new one.”