Chapter 5: The Private Life of the Villainess

“Hmm, I haven’t introduced myself, have I?”

“I’m Professor Bellia Snaker, in charge of the magic combat class.”

She had a decadent beauty, and her tight-fitting shirt accentuated her figure.

Just looking at her was a feast for the eyes.

People think I have my eyes closed because I have squinty eyes.

But I’m actually staring intently, like right now.

People often say they can’t tell if my eyes are open or closed, but that can’t be helped.

Sometimes my eyes cause misunderstandings, but…

“Aria টেরেস, come forward.”

She announces that the magic combat class will proceed in a 1:1 tournament format.

She points to a person after I step forward.

“Name.”

“It’s Eclair Soirée, Professor.”

When I waved at Claire in welcome, she frowned and quickly turned her head.

“We will start with a match between students with comparable skills.”

With those words, she calls for the start, and Claire instantly closes the distance.

Breaking the common notion that mages fight from a distance, she swings her staff in close proximity.

A sharp gust of wind hits me.

I raise a one-handed shield to block, and she’s flung back, a look of frustration on her face.

Her attacks are blocked, and she keeps swinging her staff, thinking I’m mocking her.

She unleashes various spells, but to no avail.

Then the professor blows the whistle.

“Stop, the winner of this match is Aria Theres .”

“I can still fight, Professor!”

Claire protests, but the professor is firm.

She returns to her seat, looking dejected, and I turn to leave as well.

“It’s a winning streak.”

In this format, the winner continues to fight until they lose, meaning you can’t leave until you’re defeated.

Losing on purpose would hurt my pride, and above all, it’s not befitting of a third-rate villain.

No, as a villainess, I can’t allow that.

In the end, I beat all the students in the combat class that day.

After securing my victory, the professor’s gaze changes.

“Have you ever thought about becoming my disciple? I’ll treat you well.”

With her voluptuous figure pressed against me, she talks about the future.

I was almost swayed by the professor when Eve comes to my rescue.

“Professor, the young lady has a prior engagement.”

“That’s a shame. Visit my lab next time. I’ll treat you to some delicious cookies.”

“I’ll be sure to visit, Professor.”

On the way to the dormitory, led by Eve.

She complains that I can’t let my guard down for even a second.

On one side, I naturally walk with Lucy, and Eve looks at me with an exasperated expression.

No. This is beyond my control.

Isn’t it normal to want to keep a pretty flower?

“Sigh, if you don’t like it, just say so.”

“Our young lady is insensitive to such things, so she won’t know unless you tell her.”

“No, it’s fine!”

Lucy says it’s okay, and I confidently say it with her by my side, making Eve’s gaze sharper.

In these situations, it’s safer to lie low.

When I let go of Lucy, she looks disappointed, but there’s nothing I can do.

I naturally embrace Eve, and she’s startled, glancing at Lucy.

It’s cute.

The three of us playfully head to the dormitory and arrive at Lucy’s room.

“My room!?”

“I’m curious. I want to see what other rooms look like.”

You need a certain level of favorability to ensure that when the time of judgment comes, someone might say, ‘She didn’t do anything that bad.’

That much could mean the difference between getting expelled from the country or not.

Then, with the assets I’ve stashed away, I can settle in another country and live a peaceful life in my old age.

Lucy stood in front of the door, hesitating, and opened it.

But what is this…?

The rooms given to the top two students were larger than those of regular A-class students.

But this room looked like it had been used as a storage room.

All that was in it was a bed and a wardrobe.

I’m at a loss for words as I look inside the room.

Lucy is embarrassed.

There were no windows, and the dust floating in the air was clearly visible, indicating the poor condition of the room.

It would be better to have her stay in my room than to let her live in a place like this.

“Is that all your luggage?”

“Yes, it is.”

All she has is a small bag.

Does that mean she doesn’t even have a change of clothes, let alone casual wear?

I snap my fingers smartly, and Eve gets to work.

Lucy is flustered by Eve, who is packing her bag.

She quietly follows Eve’s instructions.

When we enter our room, she looks around with wide eyes, which is cute.

I point to one of the nicer empty rooms and tell her she can stay there from now on.

She stares blankly.

“We have a lot to buy, including clothes. I’ll have to go to the city sometime.”

“I’ll prepare everything this weekend.”

“Thank you.”

I take Lucy, who can’t keep up with our conversation, and show her the bathroom, the bathtub, the kitchen, and even the terrace.

Eve takes charge of explaining the maid duties from now on.

She tells Lucy to rest well since it’s her first day, and practically pushes her into the room.

After closing the door, we’re having tea in the living room when the door opens.

Lucy comes out, looking around cautiously.

I ask if she wants to join us for tea, and she comes running over, which is adorable.

“Eve, you should join us too.”

The daughter of a duke, the second daughter of a baron, and a commoner.

A unique tea-time group is formed.

Various snacks are laid out on the table.

Lucy gulps, just looking at them.

I hand her a cookie, and she’s startled.

Each of her reactions is entertaining.

It’s like teasing Claire, in a way.

Peaceful time.

I’m going to be busy being a villainess, so I need days like this.

A dreamlike event occurred.

Not only did I become Aria’s handmaiden, but we’re also living together.

I pinched my cheek to see if I was dreaming, and it hurt.

Ah, it’s not a dream.

I never thought a day like this would come.

Every day was like hell.

It feels like I’ve met my savior.

Then I hear a knock on the door.

“Yes, yes!”

Unlike me, she’s been serving Aria for over 10 years as a baron’s daughter.

“I came to talk to you about something, Lucy.”

“Yes, yes! Please come in! Oh, would you like to sit here?”

“It’s okay. It’ll be quick.”

And what she hands me is a notebook?

She tells me to check it, and it’s filled with notes about Aria.

Most of it is about things I shouldn’t do or things she dislikes.

She tells me to memorize the contents of the notebook first and observe how she serves Aria.

She says I can ask her anything if I’m curious.

“Yes, I understand, Eve Carew!”

“You can call me Eve from now on.”

“Yes, Eve!”

Just as she’s about to leave, she turns around and stares at me.

What is it?

“Hmm, so this is her type…”

“Yes, yes!? What did you say? I didn’t hear you!”

“It’s nothing. Get some rest.”

With that, she left the room.

What did she say at the end?

It’s not important, so I forget about it and check the notebook.

It’s filled with detailed information about Aria.

She must be very observant.

I wish I could have served Aria since I was young.

No. I can work hard from now on.

I clench my fist and memorize the contents of the notebook.

It contains information about how she may appear asleep due to her eyes but is actually awake.

It also includes details like how she’s not a morning person.

I learned a lot more than I expected.

I feel like I’ve taken a step forward.

I was so proud of myself that I stayed up all night memorizing the contents of the notebook.

I managed to memorize everything in one day.

The problem is, I didn’t get any sleep.

“Oh my, you don’t look so well. Are you alright?”

“Yes! I’m fine, Aria!”

I was a little tired, but it was no problem.

Now that I know more than yesterday, I’m different.

“On sunny days, you wear white underwear, right!? I’ll go get it right away!”

“What, what did you say?”

“Lucy!?”

Aria and Eve look at me with surprised faces.

Did I make a mistake…?

“Oh, not white? On gloomy days, black…”

“Eve, what exactly did you teach her?”