I Favor The Villainess Chapter 10

"Good morning, Claire-sama"
"…"

I visited Claire-sama's room to help her with morning preparations, only to be met with suspicious look.
Yup, she's irresistible.

"… You really have become my maid, huh"
"Yes, I will a.s.sist you in all sorts of ways from now on"
"You should be grateful to me, should you not?"
"Eh? But, I'm a maid, so it's my job to take care of Claire-sama?"
"I have not said that sort of thing!"
"Yeah, please be strict with me"
"Shameless!"

Claire-sama is lively from the morning.

"Rei-chan, you cannot inconvenience Claire-sama too much? Yes, Claire-sama. I've prepared the change of clothes"

The one who admonished me with a gentle voice is another Claire-sama's maid, Lene Orso.
She's a little older than us.
She has fluffy flax-colored hair and feels like a tolerant woman.

"Good morning, Lene. Dress me up."
"Ah, please let me do it!"
"Could you step back!?"
"Ara ara, aren't you enthusiastic about work?"

Claire-sama squealed to threaten me who wasn't hiding her motives with Lene watching over us with a friendly grin.
Lene is a commoner just like me, but even if I say commoner, she's the eldest daughter of a leading merchant company in this country, Orso, she's not particularly lacking money.
As for that Lene works as Claire-sama's maid, it's due to the company's ulterior motives.
Claire-sama's father, Rod-sama, is Minister of Finance.
A company would by all means want to have a connection with him.
Therefore, Orso Company made their eldest daughter Lene Claire-sama's maid to curry favor.

"Because she kindly offered, why don't you get dressed by Rei-chan"
"I don't want that! We're talking about this commoner, nothing good will come of it!"
"My, my. In the future if my physical condition worsens I may not be able to a.s.sist Claire-sama with changing clothes. At that time, if Rei-chan lacks experience, won't Claire-sama be troubled?"
"… That… might be so"

I think you can understand from this conversation, but Lene is well liked by Claire-sama.
Lene is how to say it, very skilled at handling Claire-sama.
Even though her position is inferior, in reality, at times she has Claire-sama in the palm of her hand.
She's not just a gentle girl.

"Rei-chan, you too, tease Claire-sama in moderation. It can't be helped that your love overflows"
"Yes"
"Lene!"
"Fufu, I'm kidding"

Lene laughed cheerfully as if she was Claire-sama's older sister or something.
Actually, their relations.h.i.+p is a long one.
Rene has worked as a maid before Claire-sama could even remember.
Claire-sama's had a lot of maids but owing to her severe character it was unusual for them to serve her for long.
However, only Lene continued serving Claire-sama.
This was not mentioned in the game, but I'm well familiar with setting materials.

"Now, let's change clothes. Rei-chan, could you take off Claire-sama's clothes?"
"Yes. Claire-sama, excuse me"
"…"

I wonder if she gave up, Claire-sama entrusted her body to me.
What Claire-sama wears are custom-made super-high-cla.s.s goods.
Her pajamas are no exception.
They're made of smooth silk, in this world where linen or cotton clothes are commonplace such goods aren't easy to come by.

Be that as it may, I'm barely looking at her pajamas.
My gaze seems to be licking Claire-sama.
It's undoubtedly s.e.xual hara.s.sment.

Looking from up close Claire-sama is so lovely it's dangerous.
Her white as porcelain skin that's without a single blemish has a fine texture.
Although she isn't tall, her limbs are long and slender.
There's no fault to be seen, she's a perfect beauty.
Her almond-shaped eyes might be seen as either a pro or a con.

"… Isn't your gaze wicked?"
"Excuse me. Claire-sama is too beautiful"
"I'm tired of hearing flattery. Have you finished yet?"
"I'd like to look a little more"
"Hurry up!"

How disappointing.

I put myself together and dressed her in the academy uniform.
The Royal Academy uniform is similar to blazers in modern j.a.pan, but the high-quality design gives off an elegant impression.

In this world, there are few schools with uniforms.
It's because there's not much sense in producing uniforms.
To begin with, it's rare for commoners to attend school and there's a meaning for n.o.bles to dress up.

As for why the Royal Academy adopted uniforms, it's because they serve as a kind of status symbol.
Only the selected elite can wear this uniform.
While in j.a.pan uniforms are a symbol of standardization and lack of individuality, this academy's uniforms are a symbol of grace.

I put a white blouse decorated with frills and embroidery over her arms.

"Doing the hair is still impossible for Rei-chan. I'll do it"

Claire-sama's trademark winding curls are not naturally curly, they are done every day.
There seems to be a trick to it, although I've been practicing on a wig, I can't reproduce them yet.
Lena skillfully did them.

By the way, there's no such thing as shampoo or conditioner in this world, you only use soap to wash your hair.
However, it seems its formula differs from the real world, even without shampoo or conditioner you can wash your hair reasonably clean.
With another world transmigration, it's a common development to produce shampoo and conditioner, to my disappointment I've also thought of that.

"As expected of Lene. It is a splendid work"
"I'm unworthy of such words"

Claire-sama looking in the mirror satisfied was the perfect image of a young n.o.ble lady no matter how you looked.
Cute.

"Then, let's go to the dining hall"

The meals in the academy are exclusively provided in the dining hall.
Because n.o.ble children attend the academy, the menu is quite extravagant.
Although as expected full-course meals aren't served, a set menu with staple food, main dish, side dish, soup, and dessert is.
It's no exaggeration to say such rich meals are one of the daily pleasures of scholars.h.i.+p students of commoner origins.

"Haa… It is a poor meal"

Be that as it may, that's only true for average n.o.bles and scholars.h.i.+p students.
They aren't at a satisfying level for a genuine upper-cla.s.s n.o.ble like Claire-sama.

"Is that so? Even though it's so delicious"

I'm enjoying a gyuudon set.
It's something Claire-sama would never eat.

"This why you are a commoner. I wish I could at least eat Blume's full-course meal"

Blume is currently the most popular restaurant in the Royal Capital.
Introducing never-seen-before recipes one after another, it's a famous shop where n.o.bles gather.
A full-course meal in Blume is a high-cla.s.s meal worth half a year of a commoner's income.
No matter how abundant royal funds are for the academy, such an extravagance would clearly be the management's transgression.

"Claire-sama, you mustn't be picky about food"

Claire-sama is skillfully avoiding bell peppers.
Lene who noticed it with her sharp sight, rebuked her.

"Bell peppers are not a human food. It is not fine. There are other vegetables as well"
"That's not the problem. This meal was made with citizens' taxes. Claire-sama who is a n.o.ble has the obligation to eat bell peppers"
"Ugh…"

Claire-sama was at a loss for words when it was said it's n.o.bles' obligation.
Let's defeat her with another push.

"Ah, then, can I eat them? Hooray. An indirect kiss with Claire-sama――"
"Thank you for the meal!"

Before I could finish speaking, Claire-sama moved her fork with terrific vigor and threw all bell peppers into her mouth.
Hmm, how disappointing.

"Rei-chan, way to go. You made Claire-sama eat bell peppers"
"No, it was nothing much?"
"You absolutely followed your instincts, did you not!?"

When the meal ended, it was finally time for a lecture.
Today it was Liberal Arts lecture.
Having memorized the setting materials collection, I found it nothing but boring.

"Then, regarding the impact of the policy of Coulee III on the world later… Claire-sama, please answer"

Despite their positions as teacher and student, she still attached sama to Claire-sama.
The teachers may be n.o.bles, nevertheless there's no house that surpa.s.ses François house.
Despite the official stance being that everyone in the academy is equal, it's the proof that in reality social status matters.

"The food policy of Coulee III quickly resolved the great famine that started with a poor harvest in the neighboring country Appalachia. But with it, the vulnerability of the kingdom's food infrastructure was made evident. Afterwards, the kingdom put effort into developing western, agricultural region, committing to improving food self-sufficiency without relying on imports"
"Well said"

Claire-sama can study very much.
She received special education from an excellent tutor from the early age, but most of all, she absolutely hates losing, even when left alone she voluntarily studies.
Having lost to me in Liberal Arts on the previous test, Claire-sama is enthusiastically tackling her studies.
She may have a poor image as a villainess, but she's a real hard worker.
Among the roles I received from François house is also the role of a tutor, but as of now I haven't been asked to teach anything.

By the way, Lene doesn't partic.i.p.ate in lectures.
She's Claire-sama's maid without being an academy student.
Near the academy dormitory where the students live there's an establishment created for those who serve them.
Lene commutes from there to Claire-sama's place.

While Claire-sama attends lectures, Lene and other maids work.
They wash their masters' clothes, contact the parents' houses, gather intelligence to prepare for winter socializing, they have plenty of work.
As I'm a maid while being an academy student, such work is left to Lene while I a.s.sist Claire-sama within the academy.
It's just, I haven't been able to do stuff typical for that line of work.

"I want to quickly do this and that with Claire-sama. With great attention to detail"
"With the way you are saying it, I will not let you do anything, okay?"