Not a Villainess but a Maid

#033 It’s not a slumber party. It’s a training camp. (2)

Coral started talking while covering herself with a lamp.

“This is a story handed down within this academy…”

She said that there was a statue of an unknown girl in the backyard of Madou Academy.

There were rumors going around among students at the time about the stone statue, which had been neglected for a long time without being properly maintained.

“There was a rumor that if you visited the statue at night when everyone was asleep, it would make a crying sound.”

After hearing those words, Ruby asked back as if she was puzzled.

“Crying?”

“Yes. “Many students heard the girl statue sobbing.”

It is said that the girl statue, known as the ‘crying stone statue’, was used as a courage experience course for academy students for a long time.

But the rumors gradually died down, and the place was covered with grass as it had not been managed for a long time.

An unprecedented typhoon struck the academy, and lightning struck the stone statue’s face, damaging it.

“It is said that the statue has not cried once since it lost its face.”

It is said that the girl statue gradually disappeared from the students’ memories, and is now passed down sporadically through stories.

That was the end of Coral’s story of the crying girl statue.

‘Was there a stone statue like that in the backyard?’

Now that I think about it, I think I’ve seen something similar…

After listening to her story, she had one question.

“Coral. “You said the statue’s face was blown away, right?”

‘Yes. “It was struck by lightning and only that part was blown away.”

“If the sound was made by a ghost living in a stone statue, doesn’t that mean it can cry even if it doesn’t have a face?”

There is no need for a ghost to have a mouth part to make noises. It was a pure question that arose from that thought.

“I guess that’s what I heard? Wait for a sec. “Let me ask you something.”

‘I’m asking…’ ?’

Coral turned her head for a moment and then she whispered softly.

“Who did you just talk to, Coral?”

“The person in question is next to me right now. “So I asked.”

“Well, I see…” “

After talking to someone she couldn’t see for a while, Coral finally opened her mouth.

“I know why, Amber.”

“What do you say, ghost?”

“I’m just tired of making fun of students. “They say it has nothing to do with the statue being broken.”

If you know the truth, surprisingly, there is nothing special about it.

However, she never imagined that she would hear an explanation directly from the ghost.

For some reason, a chill appeared all over her body, and she clung to Ruby slightly.

A ghost was really listening in here.

Ruby, who had been listening to her whole story in silence, shook her head calmly.

“I don’t believe in ghosts. “In the end, things like that are fiction created by people.”

In some ways, I thought it was a normal reaction, but I asked while looking at the pajamas Ruby was wearing.

“Then is this Sasquatch or something you mentioned? “Isn’t that fiction too?”

“Sasquatch is a monster. It’s different from a ghost. “It really exists.”

“…”

To be honest, there were a lot of things I wanted to discuss, but let’s not argue with her about this topic.

It was then.

-Hook.

The light in the lantern placed in the middle of the blanket suddenly went out.

Even though there was not a single breeze blowing, the lantern, which was filled with kerosene, went out on its own.

‘No way, the ghost heard us…’ ?’

Was he trying to express his anger when someone denied his existence?

Unlike me, who was startled, Ruby calmly picked up the lantern again and lit it.

“I can’t use it. This lantern.”

When she casually lit the lantern again, this time the lanterns on the wall of her library started trouble.

-Blink, blink.

The lights illuminating the library flickered all at once and then went out in an instant.

“…!”

Eventually, even the lantern in the center went out completely, so you could tell at a glance that it was a serious matter.

When nothing was visible except darkness, Coral also noticed her and spoke with an embarrassed expression.

“I guess the ghost is really angry at Ruby. If I don’t apologize soon… “

However, despite her recommendation, Ruby indifferently picked up the lantern again.

“This is all a coincidence. “There is no such thing as a ghost.”

Ruby snapped her fingers and made a clicking sound, and the lantern lit up again.

“Now, can you see it like this?”

-Pushuuk.

And then the lantern’s light went out again, as if it had been waiting.

“…”

Cold sweat formed on my forehead.

I guess I stimulated the ghost properly.

I spoke to Ruby with her anxious look on her face.

“Just in case you missed it, let me just apologize, lady… ?”

“They say there is no such thing as a ghost. Amber. “It is a natural phenomenon that occurred by chance with an extremely low probability.”

I’ve never heard of a natural phenomenon where 12 lanterns turn off at the same time.

Every time the lantern’s light went out, Ruby persistently turned it back on.

“Is the lantern old?”

It almost looked like a ghost and Ruby competing for the lantern.

When the light went off, she turned it on again, and when it went out, she turned it on again.

As competition heats up, vibrations begin to occur inside the library, and books begin to fall from the shaking bookshelves.

-Patter.

“Miss, I don’t think this is real… !”

“It’s okay. “It’s just an earthquake.”

When did earthquakes become a simple problem?

In addition, an unidentifiable crying sound was now heard.

“Hmm… hehehe… “

A crying sound that seemed to everyone to be a human being clearly echoed throughout the building.

I was already in a state of shock, so I clung to Coral and shouted at her.

“It’s a real ghost! “Crying girl!”

“It must be the sound of the wind.”

“What kind of wind noise is that!”

The girl’s sobs got louder and louder, until it got to the point where I couldn’t hear anything except the crying.

“hehehehe… Hmm… !”

-Shock.

“…Huh?”

Just when I thought I was going to die, the vibration subsided like a lie.

The lanterns that had been turned off came on one after another, and the books that had fallen were returned to their original places.

Ruby looked back at us with a calm face and said.

“Did I tell you? It’s all a coincidence. “There is no such thing as a ghost.”

I was almost amazed by her indifference.

“…”

I asked Coral, who had an unusual-looking face.

“What’s wrong? “Why did the ghost stop?”

“…I’m shaking.”

“You’re shaking? “A ghost?”

“Yes. They say this is their first time seeing such a scary woman… ”

With this, Ruby brilliantly proved that ghosts cannot defeat her.

I probably won’t know for the life of me unless I believe in ghosts.

After the commotion finally calmed down, I brought up the story to lighten the mood.

“Shall we stop telling scary stories and take a break with some tea and snacks? The atmosphere seems to be a bit sagging.”

Coral nodded her head as if she agreed with what I said.

“Yes. “I think it would be better for me to do the same.”

Ruby looked a little disappointed, but she was afraid that if she continued this way, she would upset another ghost, so she tried to dissuade her.

I gently placed a plate of tea and snacks in front of them.

Of course, I knew the state of my cookies today, so what I brought were the leftovers from what Dia made last time.

I’m a little upset, but her cookies were definitely different from the ones I made in terms of texture and flavor.

While eating snacks and chatting for a while, I brought up a suggestion.

“I’m a bit bored like this, shall we play a game?”

Ruby asked, blinking her eyes at her words about a game.

“Game?”

What did you do when you shared the same room as the kids during a retreat?

“For example… “A game of truth or something?”

Both of them were looking at me with eyes full of curiosity.

“This is my first time hearing about the truth game. “How do you do it?”

I guess there is no such thing as a truth game in this world.

“It’s a simple game. “We take turns asking each other questions, and the person asked the question can answer truthfully and without lying.”

Ruby’s reaction after hearing her explanation of the rules was sour.

“That’s strange. Is that difficult? “I’m just telling the truth.”

Contrary to her, Coral looked quite excited.

“Sounds fun, right? “Let’s do it right away.”

I said, stopping her from starting on her own terms.

“Wait a minute. It’s no fun if you just do it. “Let’s decide on a penalty.”

As I was thinking about what would be a good punishment, I got up from my seat.

‘Oh, there was this.’

When I found my failed cookies piled up in the cupboard and difficult to dispose of, I put them all on a plate and brought them over.

“Every time you can’t answer a question, you take one of these and eat it.”

It’s a bit sad that something I created is being used as a punishment, but I thought it was fortunate that there were times when it was used like this.

“Then shall we start with me?”

“…Yes.”

As this is my first question, I thought it would be better to keep it mild.

“I will ask the lady a question. “What is Lady Ruby most afraid of?”

This was a question I asked to see if there was really something Ruby was afraid of.

She thought for a moment and came up with this answer.

“…Family.”

‘Family… ?’

She tilted her head at the unexpected answer that came from her.

A person who doesn’t care about ghosts or monsters is afraid of his family…

Ruby continued her words without adding any further answer.

“Can I ask you something now?”

“…Ah, yes. “It’s your turn, young lady.”

“I’ll ask Coral. “What book did you read that impressed you the most?”

It was a fairly good question.

Coral answered easily without thinking much.

“I liked The Red Fox and the Blue Duke, which I read the other day, the best. “I liked how the complex emotions between the characters were well woven together.”

“Hmm, I see.”

Ordinary questions were being asked, not like a truth game.

In the world I lived in, it was a fairly spicy game, but since we didn’t ask any dangerous questions, we got through it with ease.

“Now it’s my turn to ask a question.”

Finally it was Coral’s turn, and she pointed to Ruby.

“I’ll ask Ruby too.”

“Yes. Say.”

“You know, Ruby… “

Coral slightly shook her gaze and wiggled her hands, then she asked in a low voice.

“…Have you ever had feelings for someone of the same s*x?”

After her question, a long silence followed.