Not the Villainess, but the Maid

Chapter 27: Please Save Me, Princess (1)  

In the vast corridors of the Magic Academy, students in their uniforms blushed and whispered among themselves.  

"That commoner is said to be Princess Amethyst's fiancée, isn't she?"  

"Engaging in public displays of affection like that... How bold of her..."  

"Could the rumors about the princess's interest in women be true? If it were me, I could treat her so much better..."  

The subject of their gossip was none other than Amethyst and me.  

Carrying me in a princess carry, Amethyst walked confidently, paying no attention to the stares around us.  

Naturally, the embarrassment was all mine. As she held me, I spoke in a timid, almost inaudible voice.  

"Um... Ame?"  

"Hmm?"  

"Do we really have to move like this?"  

A princess carry was something I'd only ever read about in novels, but to experience it in reality—and as the one being carried, no less—was a shock.  

To make matters worse, the academy students probably all thought I was Amethyst's fiancée.  

The gazes from those around us carried a mixture of awkward embarrassment and inexplicable envy.  

'At this rate, people will really think I'm her fiancée...'  

For royals, having a fiancée before coming of age and attending the academy together wasn’t unheard of.  

However, the attention we were drawing was largely because we were both women.  

Amethyst looked at me with a gentle expression and asked,  

"Should I put you down, Amber, if you don’t like it?"  

"It's not that I dislike it, but there are just too many eyes on us..."  

"What does it matter? Everyone already thinks you're my fiancée."  

Judging by the look in Amethyst's eyes, it was clear that no matter what I said, she wouldn't budge.  

Given her playful nature, she was undoubtedly enjoying this situation.  

I tried turning my gaze away from her, only to meet the countless eyes staring at us. That made me more embarrassed, so I buried my face into her chest, but that felt equally humiliating.  

This woman, who was just a silver-haired kid my height a few years ago...  

When did she grow so strong and tall that she could carry me effortlessly?  

Amethyst leaned closer to my ear and gently bit my flushed earlobe.  

"...!"  

Shocked by the sudden affectionate gesture, I turned crimson and yelled at her.  

"Ame!"  

"Sorry. Amber, you're just too cute. I couldn't help myself."  

Even when we were younger, how could she make such shameless jokes with such a straight face?  

Her constant playful attitude made it impossible to take her seriously.  

In a voice low enough for only me to hear, Amethyst whispered,  

"If you were really my fiancée, I could do even more fun things."  

"..."  

"I'm kidding. Just a joke."  

That day, the path to the training grounds felt endlessly long.  

Hiding my flushed face was a struggle, and I thought I might die of embarrassment.  

***  

After the academy day ended, the training grounds were eerily empty without a single student in sight.  

Anyone passionate enough to practice swordsmanship after hours would likely have joined the Kendo Club, so it made sense.  

Amethyst set me down from the princess carry and said,  

"We're here, Princess."  

Though the way she addressed me felt odd, I decided not to point it out.  

After setting me down, she casually lifted her sailor uniform's top.  

Swish.  

In one swift motion, something quite ample and distracting was revealed.  

Amethyst's surprisingly feminine choice of undergarments barely managed to cover her generously proportioned chest.  

"W-why are you taking off your clothes...?"  

Flustered, I quickly turned my head, and Amethyst responded with confusion.  

"Huh? Isn't it normal to change into training clothes here?"  

"That's not the point. Why not use the changing room...?"  

Amethyst glanced at her outfit, shrugged nonchalantly, and said,  

"We're both girls, so what's the big deal? You're really shy about this kind of thing, huh, Amber?"  

Hearing someone who had proposed marriage to a woman say that made it all the more unconvincing.  

To begin with, could I even fully consider myself a woman, including mentally...?  

"Come on, Amber. Change into your training clothes."  

Before I realized it, Amethyst had already changed effortlessly and tossed a set of training clothes my way.  

I caught them and hesitated.  

'...Where should I change?'  

Normally, I would have used the attached changing room, but doing so now might make it seem like I was overly self-conscious about her.  

As Amethyst said, perhaps I was being overly self-conscious about her.

Things like a princess carry or lightly biting my ear could barely pass as playful pranks between girls.

I knew that her reason for wanting to make me her fiancée wasn’t because she saw me as someone special.

Given her personality in the original game, it was clear she wanted to keep me by her side to avoid her parents pressuring her about an engagement.

Otherwise, there was no reason for her to choose me, a commoner, over the prettier and more capable daughters of noble families.

Hesitating briefly as I held the hem of my sailor uniform, I finally pulled it off without hesitation.

Now left only in my underwear, I glanced at Amethyst, and she looked slightly flustered.

"What's wrong...?"

"Nothing, I just didn’t expect you to change in front of me..."

"But Ame, weren’t you the one who said it’s not embarrassing since we’re both girls?"

Right. This was all just me overthinking things.

I pushed aside my embarrassment and changed into my training clothes.

"I’m ready now, Ame!"

With a determined expression, I turned to her and noticed something in her hand.

"...Ame? Isn't that my uniform?"

The white sailor uniform was unmistakably my size.

"Yep, it's yours."

"But why are you holding it...?"

Amethyst gazed at the uniform in her hand, then brought it to her face.

‘What is she doing?’

After a few seconds, she removed it and, with a bright smile, said,

"It smells like strawberries."

"Please don’t sniff my clothes...!"

What followed was a hectic struggle to retrieve my uniform from her.

Clutching the reclaimed uniform tightly, I glared at Amethyst, who looked amused and asked,

"Sorry. Was my prank too much? Are you still mad?"

"You’re too much. Seriously..."

Thankfully, I had washed the uniform yesterday. If it had smelled, I might’ve died of embarrassment right then and there.

"Looks like we’ve had enough of a warm-up with all this commotion. Let’s start practice now, Amber."

Amethyst stretched and got up.

"Alright. Please take care of me."

Before starting the sparring session, she made me wear every piece of protective gear available.

From head to toe, I was so tightly wrapped up that anyone would mistake me for some kind of armored robot.

Amethyst, on the other hand, was casually dressed in just her training clothes.

The strangest part was that she wasn’t holding a sword.

"Um, where are the practice swords?"

"Swords? Why would we need those?"

Why would we need swords? Wasn’t this swordsmanship training?

Confused, I gave her a puzzled look, and she shook her head.

"Amber, first, you need to build strength. Watching you spar over the past few days, I’m not sure you could even catch a kitten with your current arm strength."

‘She compared me to a cat again...’

Even Amethyst had now officially recognized that I was weaker than a cat.

"So, does that mean we’re doing hand-to-hand combat today?"

"You got it. The goal is simple: the one who unties the other’s belt first wins."

It seemed like a mix of judo and Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

"Alright, let’s get started!"

"Yes!"

Just as I thought this might be easier than swordsmanship, Amethyst lowered her stance and approached me at an incredible speed.

‘When did she get this close...?’

Moving so fast I thought I was seeing an afterimage, she reached me in the blink of an eye, grabbed my waist, and toppled me over.

Thud.

I couldn’t even think about responding, let alone attempt a counter.

The overwhelming difference in skill that came from her innate talent was something I couldn’t bridge by sheer chance.

Pinned under Amethyst, who had me completely subdued, I helplessly lost my belt and stared blankly at the ceiling.

"..."

"Hmm... I thought you’d last a bit longer. But it’s okay—it’s your first time."

Amethyst, seemingly surprised by how easily she overpowered me, made a strange face before crouching down to meet my eyes.

"Do you want to know the quickest way to improve, Amber?"

"What is it?"

"You make a wager. Every time you lose, there’s a penalty."

A penalty for losing? What was she planning?

"Are you curious about the penalty?"

"...Yes."

Hearing my answer, Amethyst reached out and removed my helmet.

"Just so you know, you agreed to this, Amber."

Then, she gently brushed back my bangs.

‘What’s this? Is she going to flick my forehead?’

Traditionally, punishments like that were the norm, weren’t they?

Bracing myself for the sting, I closed my eyes tightly. Instead, I felt something soft and gentle press against my forehead.

"...!"

When I opened my eyes, I was startled to see her face so close it was like she was only a sheet of paper away.

Holding me down firmly, she softly kissed my forehead.

"Every time you lose, the kisses will move a little lower."

Amethyst slowly pulled away from my forehead and continued speaking.

Then, leaning close to my ear, she whispered softly.

"You know where the last one will go, don’t you?"

It seemed like I was in serious trouble.