I Was Reincarnated as the Villain in an Eroge, but I’ll Live Honestly ~Because the Protagonist Was Useless, I Ended Up Making the Heroines Smile and Somehow Built a Harem~ - 18

Chapter 18: Flora’s Story (Continuation)

ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー

This was the story of the day I finally reached my limit working at Abel-sama’s mansion. It was the day Abel-sama invited his friends to the mansion. And on that day, by Abel-sama’s designation, I was assigned to serve them.

“Hey, Abel. Who’s that insanely cute blonde maid? She wasn’t here before, right?”

“Oh, you mean Flora? Well, a few things happened. Right, Flora?”

“Y-yes… That’s right.”

By this point, I already felt very uncomfortable around Abel-sama, so all I could do was respond with a vague smile. Meanwhile, Abel-sama, who had been asked by his friend, didn’t seem displeased at all. If anything, he deliberately spoke in a suggestive way, as if basking in a sense of superiority. Seeing the corner of Abel’s mouth slightly curl upward, I somehow felt that was the case.

“What’s with that teasing way of saying it? Man, it must be nice… Having a maid that cute serving you and furthermore…”

As he said that, Abel-sama’s friend stared openly at my chest, his expression slack with lechery. I hate to say it myself, but including my chest, I had the kind of figure men tend to like. Because of that, men often stared at me, making me feel deeply uncomfortable.

“So then… How far have you actually gone with that maid?”

“How far? What are you talking about?”

“Don’t play dumb. I’m asking if you did it. Well, judging by how you’re talking, it sounds like you haven’t yet. What a waste… I ordered a night visit myself recently, and man, it was—”

“Huh… Seriously…!?”

The moment I heard the word night visit, my shoulders jolted upward. Of course, I knew very well that night visits were part of a maid’s duties. Even so, ever since coming to this mansion, I had tried not to think about it. I might have been favored by him, but I found Abel-sama physically repulsive. Truly, from the bottom of my heart, I hated the thought of giving him a night service.

It was around this time that it started. Abel-sama began sneaking glances at my chest, flaring his nostrils or grinning to himself. According to my coworkers, Abel-sama had never once ordered a night visit before. So I told myself I could endure just the looks… Though to be honest, having endured so much already, I also felt a simmering anger rising inside me.

Then, one day, while I was cleaning the windows… Ah. By the way, this was something I hadn’t even told Noah-sama.

“Flora, you really are a hard worker.”

“Huh? Ah, I guess so…”

Since he suddenly spoke to me from behind, my response came out awkwardly. By then, just hearing Abel-sama’s voice was enough to make me flinch.

“Flora, stay right there for a moment.”

“……Yes.”

Who could disobey the master of the mansion? I stared outside, praying that this moment would pass quickly. That was when Abel-sama grabbed my waist.

“Eek!?”

“Haha, sorry, sorry. That startled you, didn’t it?”

Endure it, endure it, Flora. He’s a noble, after all. You have to endure this, okay?

“Y-yes… Haha… This will interfere with my work, so if you could please let go…”

I replied in a trembling voice, desperately suppressing the urge to strike him. There was fear, of course, but also disgust, and the stress I had endured all this time. That was why, I think, a feeling close to anger overtook the fear. But it seemed my words didn’t reach him, because Abel-sama continued speaking.

“I just thought… Even with such a slim waist, you move around a lot. Don’t you think you’re working too hard? A-and… Yeah… Uum…”

Suddenly, Abel-sama began mumbling awkwardly. Looking closer, his face was slightly red. I had a bad feeling about this. And feelings like that always came true.

“I-if it’s alright… Ma-Maybe you could t-take a break in my room—”

“Oh, right! I was suddenly asked by the head maid to do another task. Please excuse me!”

“N-no, wait—”

Before Abel-sama could say anything more, I ran away.

There’s absolutely no way I can keep working at this mansion…!

I managed to dodge it this time, but I knew it was only a matter of time before I couldn’t run away from it. I said anger had won out, but when it came to actually being pressed into a night visit, I hadn’t realized just how terrifying it would be.

As I ran through the mansion, countless thoughts raced through my mind. Why was there no place where I could just work normally? The tavern owner who mocked me for being a country bumpkin, and the mansion lord who pressed maids into night visits…

I just wanted to work normally. I didn’t ask for exceptionally good treatment. I just wanted an ordinary workplace, where I could do ordinary work. But more than that, what weighed on me was guilt toward my family. I felt utterly miserable, apologizing in my heart for running away. I said I’d do my best for my family, yet in the end, was this all I amounted to?

Carrying those feelings with me, I went out into the city to look for a new job. That was when I heard rumors about Noah-sama. I heard rumors that he had reformed, and was now an incredibly compassionate and sincere person.

When I asked for details, I heard that maids working at Noah-sama’s mansion had been talking while out shopping. There were also stories about a black-haired maid getting into an argument with a noble who spoke ill of her master.

Surely, that was proof of how deeply loved he was. Perhaps that was why…. After quitting Abel-sama’s mansion, the next place I visited was Noah-sama’s mansion. Of course, there was a chance the rumors were wrong. If that were the case, I thought, maybe that was fine too. I had to admit, I had become just a little self-destructive at that time.

I think, deep down, it was because I felt a sense of atonement toward my family for running away from a night visit. And that decision was what greatly changed my fate… Toward achieving happiness.

ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー