Not the Villainess, but the Maid

Chapter 18: The Eccentric Student Council President

“Let’s just create a new one.”

When Ruby said something nobody expected, everyone, including me, looked confused.

“Create a club?”

“Yeah. If there isn’t one we want, we’ll just make it ourselves.”

Was it even possible to create a new club in the first place?

In the original game, there was no feature to create a club from scratch.

Clubs were merely tools to boost stats or showcase individual traits.

Leaving aside how we would propose the idea of forming a new club, I was curious about what kind of club Ruby wanted to create.

“So, do you already have a club in mind, My Lady?”

“I was just about to think of one.”

How could she be so confident?

Her expression showed not even a hint of embarrassment or hesitation.

“For example… Hmm, how about a Free Activity Club?”

“A… Free Activity Club?”

Just hearing the name gave no clue as to what activities the club would involve.

“A club where everyone can do whatever they want, without being bound by the club’s name.”

“Isn’t that pretty much the same as not joining a club at all?”

“It’s about the sense of belonging. If we’re going to have fun anyway, isn’t it better to enjoy it together?”

“…”

‘Somehow, that’s oddly convincing.’

Honestly, I thought it was a ridiculous club idea, but coming from Ruby’s mouth, I couldn’t help but feel persuaded.

Amethyst, who had been quietly listening to our conversation, turned to Ruby and asked.

“Do you know how to create a club? You don’t even know who to ask about it, right?”

“Well…”

Ruby believed that when asking for something, it was best to go to the person with the most power in the academy, so we decided to meet with the student council president.

Naturally, all four of us expected to meet the president together, but the student council senior had a different response.

“Four people? That’s not possible. Meetings must be one-on-one.”

“…So, only one of us can go in?”

“Yeah. Our president has a bit of an eccentric personality. Sorry, but you’ll have to choose one representative.”

At that moment, we heard a booming voice of a woman, presumably the president, from behind the door.

“Hey, out there! Keep it down!”

The sound of something slamming against the door echoed loudly.

The chilling noise froze all of us in place.

“…You heard that, right? She’s been a bit on edge lately because she’s behind on work.”

I naturally looked at Ruby and spoke.

“My Lady, what will you do?”

Since Ruby was the one who suggested the idea, I assumed she would go in as the representative.

Ruby, with a pensive expression, suddenly made a determined face and spoke.

“Rock, paper, scissors decides this…”

“…What!?”

“Rock, paper, scissors!”

I reflexively threw paper.

As if prearranged, everyone else threw scissors, leaving me as the loser.

“…?”

While I stood there, dumbfounded, the others slowly backed away with sly expressions.

Ruby placed her hands on my shoulders and looked at me with a serious face.

“I’m counting on you, Amber.”

“Uh…”

And just like that, it was decided that I would go in to meet the president alone.

Just before entering the pitch-black office, the student council senior who had been guiding us gave me a sympathetic look and spoke.

“Don’t be too nervous. No matter how she is, the president wouldn’t treat a junior harshly. …Probably.”

“….”

She then gave me a gentle push, closing the door behind me, leaving me in a dim room faintly lit by a sliver of sunlight, where a desk emanating a foreboding aura stood.

How did it come to this?

Well, because I lost at rock, paper, scissors, obviously.

I swallowed hard and took a step forward toward the desk.

“Excuse me…”

“….”

There, amidst the chaos of scattered papers on the desk, I noticed a head with vibrant red hair lying buried.

“Um, excuse me?”

“…I can hear you.”

Dark circles hung beneath two yellow eyes, glaring at me like a cat’s glowing stare in the darkness.

A moment later, a girl with red pigtails staggered as she got up from the desk.

She rummaged through the piles of documents to find a cup of coffee, took a slurp, and then spoke.

“…Let me guess. You’re here because of a club issue, right?”

“Yes. How did you know?”

“Just a hunch. So, what, you want more budget?”

“We want to create a new club.”

-Thud.

Her coffee cup hit the desk with a heavy sound.

“…What did you just say?”

The atmosphere of the conversation shifted instantly.

“…I mean, we want to establish a new club.”

“…Hah.”

The girl let out a sigh as deep as the ground itself, staggered to her feet, and pulled back the blackout curtains covering the window.

Sunlight flooded the previously dark room, revealing the interior in full detail.

The first thing to catch my eye was her wooden nameplate with her name engraved on it.

Student Council President, Citrine Scarlet.

I already knew who she was.

She was the only second-year heroine in the original game, Chronicles of Magical Lily, and the academy’s student council president.

Typically, characters with a “senior” trait are expected to have a mature and composed demeanor, but Citrine completely shattered that expectation.

The most striking reversal was that she was, by far, the shortest among all the heroines.

Citrine squinted her sharp eyes and looked slightly up at me as she asked.

“You’re a first-year, right?”

She straightened her stance, emphasizing her status as an upperclassman, but her height still fell a bit short.

She seemed displeased about this and bared her sharp fangs.

Sensing that I should adjust to her mood, I bent my knees slightly to match her eye level and answered.

“Yes, I’m a first-year student.”

“…Hmph, you may look clueless, but at least you’ve got some sense.”

She truly was a heroine whose every word sparkled with character.

Citrine was notorious for her sharp-tongued lines during the early stages of the game when affection levels were low.

Her haughty attitude and sky-high pride made her seem like she was looking down on everyone.

However, unlike Ruby’s “villainess” vibe, Citrine had more of a mischievous devil-like charm.

You could describe her as an image of a bratty little troublemaker.

“Alright, what kind of club are you trying to make?”

She pushed a chair out from her desk toward me.

“…?”

“What are you waiting for? Sit down already.”

“Oh, thank you.”

She had pulled out the chair so confidently that I thought she was about to sit, but instead, she intended for me to sit while she remained standing.

I wasn’t sure if she was being kind or just wanted to look down on me.

“I want to create a Free Activity Club.”

“A Free Activity Club? What kind of club is that?”

Citrine raised an eyebrow as she questioned.

Honestly, I was just as curious about what kind of club it was.

“A Free Activity Club is, well, a club for students who don’t really have anything else to do…”

“…So, you’re saying it’s a club where you do nothing?”

“Well, more like a club where everyone does whatever they want…”

Citrine’s expression hardened. It seemed like it truly was a ridiculous idea.

Just as I feared, she shouted at me in a voice that echoed through the room.

“…Are you joking!?”

“…”

Startled by her loud voice, I reflexively shrank back and looked at her with teary eyes.

“…Is there no way to make this work?”

“Of course not! What do you think club activities are!? A club where you do nothing…? There’s no way such a club would ever be allowed…”

Citrine pulled out a thick, dusty book from the shelf beside her, opened it, and flipped through the pages furiously.

After thoroughly scanning the book, she closed it with a serious expression.

She then began chewing on her nails with a complicated look on her face.

“W-Why? What did it say in the book…?”

“…Nothing.”

“Sorry?”

“There’s no clause that bans a club where you do nothing.”

The academy’s regulations detailed actions prohibited for students, but there was no clause banning doing nothing.

Frankly, it would have been strange to prohibit doing nothing in the first place.

While cautiously observing Citrine’s reaction, I hesitantly asked her.

“So, does that mean we can create the club?”

“…It’s not impossible. But…”

Citrine propped her chin on one hand, tilting her head as she spoke.

“Why should I allow that?”

“…Pardon?”

“There’s no reason for me to help create such a ridiculous club, is there?”

“…”

“To establish a club, you need to request funding, allocate space—do you even realize how much extra work that adds when I’m already busy enough?”

Honestly, I had no argument against her. It really was a strange club idea.

“Well, if you’re dead set on it, there’s a way.”

“What is it?”

When I eagerly asked, Citrine gave a sly smile and said.

“Clean my office daily, organize my desk, and make sure my coffee is always refilled. If you do those three things without fail, I’ll consider it.”

“…”

“What do you think? Doesn’t it sound so evil it makes your skin crawl?”

“That’s all? Nothing else?”

“…Huh?”

Citrine looked startled at my nonchalant response.

“That wasn’t the reaction I was expecting…”

“If I’m going to do something, I might as well do it properly, right?”

Honestly, her requests were nothing difficult.

Compared to the daily chores I performed at the mansion, it was no different than filling Milk’s bowl.

Despite her embarrassed response, I scanned the dust-covered room and questioned her with a scrutinizing gaze.

“By the way, do you ventilate this room regularly? And when was the last time you washed those blackout curtains?”

“Uh, I’ve never done either.”

“That’s terrible! This directly impacts your lung health!”

I sat her down and lectured her extensively on the importance of ventilation and the dangers of dust.

“Do you realize how harmful the dust accumulating on the window sills is to your body?”

“It doesn’t matter, does it? It’s just a minor thing…”

“It’s not minor! You’re the one spending the most time in this room, after all.”

As I passionately explained, Citrine, who had been listening with a dazed expression, suddenly slammed the desk and stood up.

“Alright, alright! I’ll let you make the club, okay!?”

“Really?”

“If I listen to this any longer, I think I’ll lose my mind. Just take this and go.”

She handed me a sheet labeled “Club Establishment Application Form.”

Taking it, I kindly asked her.

“When should I start cleaning? This afternoon? Or tomorrow morning?”

“Anytime, I don’t care! Just take that and get out! Please!”

Practically begging, Citrine pushed me out of the office.

‘I was worried about how scary she’d be, but she turned out to be unexpectedly adorable.’

She didn’t feel as obnoxious as she did in the game.

Unlike Ruby, Citrine seemed clumsy in expressing her emotions, albeit in a different way.

At least she was more reasonable than I had feared, I thought, holding the form as I walked back into the corridor.

The three waiting for me in the hallway wore anxious expressions, but I waved the form and smiled.

“She approved it! My Lady!”

Ruby’s eyes widened slightly as she took the form.

“Really? How did you manage to charm that scary president?”

“She wasn’t as scary as you said. Sure, her words were a bit harsh, but she’s a kind person.”

“…”

Ruby, staring at my cheerful expression, muttered with a worried look.

“I wonder if sending you to her was the right choice…”

“Pardon?”

“…Never mind. You did well, Amber.”

And so, we took the first step toward the absurd plan of creating a brand-new club.