Not a Villainess but a Maid

#054 It’s the sea!

A letter from Coral.

When I opened the envelope, a pretty pink letter appeared.

I knew we would exchange letters, but I didn’t expect it to happen so soon.

After reading through the contents with excitement, I called Ruby with a puzzled expression.

“···Lady. “Would you like to take a look at this?”

***

Ruby, who had read the letter with me, tilted her head.

“So, Coral invited us to her house?”

“Yes. “If you look at the letter, it clearly says Ruby and Amber.”

While the mansion we were in was relatively located in the metropolitan area, Coral’s house was located in the furthest part of the city.

According to her, she has lived in a house with a view of the sea since she was young.

She had once told Coral that she wanted to go to the beach as a joke, and she seemed to have remembered that and sent her invitation.

Ruby said indifferently at the mention of the beach.

“···That means it’s completely rural.”

“I guess so. “Much better than here.”

“Umm… “Amber, do you want to go to the sea?”

When she asked, I answered calmly.

“Yes. “I was already feeling a little frustrated.”

“···Okay. Why not go there sometime?”

“Really? Are you sure you don’t mind?”

“I’m not really interested in the sea or anything, but I can’t send Amber alone.”

Ruby didn’t seem to be very pleased with her, but she joined her on the trip.

***

She told Meryl Da that she wanted to go on her trip.

When she heard that we were going down to the countryside, she looked embarrassed and said,

“Beach…? “Are you sure you can get used to it, Miss Ruby?”

Merilda looked at her Ruby with a concerned expression on her face.

“It’s okay. “Amber is going with me.”

“That’s why I’m even more worried…”

“···.”

“You know it will take at least a day by carriage, right? You may have to stay there for a few days.”

“Yes. “I plan to stay for a few days.”

After discussing with the lady, we calculated that we would be staying for about 3 days, so we started packing accordingly.

I asked Ruby as I gathered up a change of clothes.

“Lady. Have you ever been to the sea?”

“No. “Never.”

She said that unless you live near the beach, you rarely see the sea.

If you think about it, it was natural that traveling long distances was difficult here because there were no cars and no suitable means of transportation.

“What about Amber? Have you been to the beach?”

“I was in middle school…”

I was about to say that, but I covered her mouth.

I was crazy. Why is middle school being taught here?

“Middle school…? What is it?”

When Ruby looked confused at hearing the word for the first time, I answered by shaking her head.

“···I’ve never been there either. Miss. hahahaha.”

She had a slightly puzzled look, but she did not press further.

“Right? “I usually don’t get a chance to see the sea.”

Sometimes a conversation would come out right away without thinking about it. Just like before.

···I guess it’s because I’ve become so comfortable with Ruby.

After we packed up our bags, we naturally had Merylda check her belongings.

Merilda asked with a serious expression as she straightened our clothes.

“You brought enough water to drink along the way, right? Do you even need to change underwear there? “If you ever meet scary adults…”

I said with an embarrassed expression to her who was constantly spewing out her trivial worries.

“···Merilda, we are now 17 years old.”

“···Well, it was like that. It’s amazing. “I can still vividly remember the time when you two peed on the blanket.”

When are we even talking about this? And I never peed on the bed.

···Was it there?

Merilda spoke to us with a slightly worried look.

“I’m worried because it’s my first time on a long-distance trip. Please take care of yourselves, both of you.”

“Yes, Merilda.”

After a brief greeting with her, I got into her carriage.

‘Go to the seaside in the countryside…’ I don’t know how many years it’s been.’

When I think about it, I don’t know why I’m so excited when I’m just leaving the city center.

Is it a good feeling to escape from everyday life?

Of course, it was fun to read a novel while lying in bed with Ruby, but it couldn’t compare to the excitement that comes from traveling.

Ruby, who is a serious homebody, is already pouting.

It’s clear that you’re already thinking of a soft bed.

We arrived after driving almost a day, including a break by carriage.

As I got closer to my destination, I could hear the faint smell of the sea tickling my nose and the cackling sounds of seagulls.

When I opened the window and let in the sea breeze, I felt like all the pain I had suffered from motion sickness was blown away.

“Miss, look over there! “It’s a seagull!”

“···Really?”

Ruby didn’t seem very interested.

From now on, my eyes were only focused on the book.

[ Kikluk, Kikluk! ]

A young seagull showed interest in the carriage and flew close to it.

The seagulls began to fly low and hover around the window, as if they were curious about us.

‘Cute!’

Now that I think about it, I’ve seen a lot of scenes on TV where snacks are given to seagulls.

After thinking about it, I picked up a leftover cookie and stuck my hand out the window.

“Seagull, let’s eat.”

[Kikruk? ]

The seagull snatched my cookie in one go, lifted its neck and swallowed it whole.

-Gulp.

After a while, the seagull’s flapping of its wings changed unnaturally.

[Kikruk, kiluk…! ]

‘Huh…?’

The seagull, which was screaming and staggering in the air, fell helplessly down the cliff.

“Seagull…!”

I stuck my head out of her window and called for her seagulls, but I never saw her again.

‘I’m sorry, seagull…’

That was the end of my memories with the young seagull.

***

When the carriage finally stopped, Ruby closed her book and called to me.

“Amber. “I think we’re all there now.”

“…”

“What, why are you looking like that?”

Ruby looked at me with an almost lost expression and asked in astonishment.

“···The seagull···ate the cookie and fell…”

“What?”

As the meaningless conversation between me and her continued, I heard a familiar voice from behind the carriage.

“Oh, who came?”

A clear, pure and soft voice.

I’ve been hearing this voice since I was young, but I never get tired of it.

As far as I know, there is only one person with a voice like this.

I got off her carriage and faced her.

“Diamond?”

Dia was smiling at me, wearing a girlish hat and a white dress with her pretty blonde hair flowing.

“Why is Diamond here?”

“I received an invitation from Coral. Amber too?”

“Yes. Lady Ruby and I also came.”

It turned out that Coral had sent a letter to all club members.

Dia continued her words, holding my hand as if she was happy to see me.

“Amethyst said she couldn’t do it due to family circumstances, and everyone else seems to be busy.”

“It’s a bit disappointing. “It would have been more fun if there were more people.”

Dia responded to my words by shaking her head.

“Still, I thought I was alone, but I’m really happy that these two people came.”

According to what she said, it seemed like there were three people who came to Coral’s hometown: me, Ruby, and Diamond.

Ruby’s voice was heard from inside the carriage.

“Amber, who is out there?”

Ruby got off the carriage late and made eye contact with Diamond.

Dia looked at her ruby and said with a wide smile.

“Nice to meet you, Ruby. “This is my first time seeing you since vacation.”

Ruby looked at her like that and muttered with a dark expression on her face.

“···Disturber···.”

“Yes?”

Unlike the single, bright diamond, ruby exudes a gloomy energy.

It was a bit of an uneasy atmosphere from the beginning.

After the three of us left the carriage we were riding in, we stood up carrying our luggage.

“Let’s see, that’s the village sign…”

I opened the map enclosed in the letter and set out to find the location where Coral’s house was marked.

I followed the path she had marked with her dotted line, past the sign with the town’s name on it.

As I was walking ahead holding the map, Ruby asked me with concern.

“Amber. “Is this really the right path?”

“Of course. “I’m telling you to stop worrying every hour.”

I was walking ahead with a confident face and stopped at point X marked on the map.

“Here!”

When I took the map away and looked ahead, a steep cliff stretched out before my eyes.

“Evil…!”

She screamed in fear and hit her butt.

If I had taken just one more step here, I would have ended up like that seagull.

Dia gently helped me up as I fell to the floor, trembling.

“···If it’s okay, shall I take the lead? Amber?”

“Yes. Please.”

Fortunately, Dia found the way correctly, and we somehow found what appeared to be Coral’s house.

Among the houses I saw while passing through the village, Coral’s house was the biggest.

Just as she said that she could see the beach right from the house, it was an unusual structure with a protruding floor facing the sandy beach.

Oh my god. If you stretch out your feet from the floor, you’re right at the beach.

There was no doubt that it was a truly romantic house.

“Ah, Amber! “Ruby and Diamond are here too!”

As I approached the house, Coral, who was sitting on the floor, waved her hand at me.

Coral wearing a very loose white t-shirt and very short pants.

At first glance, you could be forgiven for thinking that he wasn’t wearing pants.

I approached Coral with a smile and was slightly embarrassed.

“Huh? Coral… Right?”

“Yes. What’s the matter?”

The pure white skin she saw when she was at the academy was gone, and her skin had turned a healthy bronze color.

Coral noticed that I was staring at her face, and she put her hand on her cheek and said, looking slightly embarrassed.

“Oh. This is it… “I have a constitution where my skin burns very easily…”

“Huh, was that something like that?”

It’s only been about two days since vacation started.

She had natural bronze skin, as if she had had it from the beginning.

“For proof, look here.”

Coral pulled her t-shirt slightly down her shoulders, showing the area around her collarbone where the imprint of her white underwear still remained.

“It’s real. “Only the underwear part wasn’t burned.”

As I continued to stare, she blushed slightly.

“···Amber? “If you focus too much on it, it’s a bit embarrassing.”

“Oh, sorry.”

She smiled and said hello to Ruby and Diamond who came up behind me.

“Thank you everyone for coming. “It will definitely be a fun vacation.”

Coral welcomed us with a bright smile.

Cicadas were crying in the nearby forest, and waves were lapping and shaking on the beach opposite.

It was summer.