I’m Telling You, I’m Not The Villain! – Chapter 23

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Lord Fourth
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“…I’m back.”

He finally returned to the dormitory quite late. The reason was, of course, the drunken professor.

The biggest reason was her flat-out refusal of his suggestion to sober up with detoxification magic.

“Master, you’re back!”

“Yeah…”

She had insisted on enjoying the tipsy feeling, which took up even more time…

“Sigh…”

As a result, he had to go through the trouble of escorting the clingy professor back to her home.

“Welcome back! You’re a little late, aren’t you?”

By the time he returned, it was already late at night, with the moon hanging high in the sky.

“You must be tired. Please give me your coat.”

As he entered, Eilly greeted him with a bright smile at the door, like a puppy waiting for its owner.

“Uh, well… I ended up being a little late.”

“It’s alright! Please give me your coat… Huh?”

But her welcoming smile quickly faded as she took his coat, and she frowned.

“Sniff, sniff… Hmm… Master…?”

She examined his clothes like a detective investigating a crime scene.

“Did you… go to a tavern…?”

Had the smell lingered? She immediately guessed where he had been. It seemed the smell of alcohol had clung to his clothes from carrying the clinging Adria.

“Yes, I happened to run into someone I knew. I only had one drink.”

He answered honestly. There was no reason to lie.

“I-Is that so…?”

But for some reason, Eilly seemed shocked by his confession, her pupils trembling slightly.

“Ugh…”

What was with that expression? It was a mixture of… anger and sadness… a face filled with resentment.

Eilly’s shoulders trembled at the mention of him meeting someone at a tavern.

“Eilly?”

“Oh… Yes…!”

He called her name just as she seemed to be zoning out. Eilly flinched and looked up.

“Ah… I-I see! You must be tired. I’ve prepared a bath for you!”

After a brief moment of awkwardness, Eilly put on her usual bright smile. She pointed towards the bathroom and told him she had prepared a bath.

“That’s perfect. I’ll take a bath and go to bed early today.”

“Yes! I’ll get your change of clothes ready!”

His previous unease vanished. Perhaps it was just his imagination? But the expressions he had just seen were too vivid to dismiss.

‘…Strange.’

A strange feeling lingered, bothering him until he entered the bathroom.

…

……

“Ahh…”

“Master? Is the temperature alright?”

“Yes, thank you.”

A little later, Arnold was in the bath, and Eilly checked on him from beyond the door.

“Yes, I understand.”

Reassured by his satisfied voice, Eilly left the bathroom.

“….”

Now that her master couldn’t see her,

“Sigh…”

she picked up the clothes he had taken off.

“Sniff…”

And without any hesitation… or rather, in her haste, she buried her face in Arnold’s clothes, unconcerned that her actions were inappropriate.

“Sigh…”

After confirming the scent on Arnold’s clothes once again—

“Ugh…!”

—resentment filled her eyes.

“Oh, Master…”

Because his clothes reeked of alcohol and another person’s scent.

“As expected….”

It wasn’t her master’s scent, nor her own, but a completely different scent. Eilly realized that it belonged to a ‘woman.’

“You met a woman.”

Arnold had only said he met someone he knew. But the sweet, subtle fragrance wasn’t something a man would wear.

“…!”

An instinctive wariness made her grit her teeth silently. She couldn’t contain her anger.
Her master going to a tavern with an unknown woman late at night… It was a terrible scenario for her.

“…I hate this.”

But… Eilly could only suffer in silence. She had no right to interfere. The notion that she was just a maid, and it was none of her business who Arnold met or became involved with, weighed heavily on her mind.

“It hurts…”

But the unpleasant feeling churning within her was an undeniable, dark mass that she couldn’t ignore or suppress.

Like an incurable disease, the fact that she could do nothing but suffer only deepened her despair.

“Master…”

Eilly called out to him longingly, slowly looking up at the ceiling. Her eyes held a mixture of yearning and faint resentment.

“Am I not deserving of the title of maid?”

But even so, she blamed herself for her unbearable jealousy and… continued her lonely monologue that wouldn’t reach him.

◇ ◇ ◇

“Arnold! It’s today~ Aren’t you excited?!”

Still unfamiliar with academy life, Varis was brimming with excitement for the banquet, his eyes sparkling.

“I am.”

“What’s with that unenthusiastic response?!”

While others were filled with anticipation for the glamorous banquet, he was filled with a sense of tension, knowing the hurdle he had to overcome.

“I have something on my mind.”

“Hmm~ Is that so?”

As Varis had said, there would be a freshman welcoming banquet hosted by the academy tonight.

It was a rare event in the early stages of the game. It was a memorable event, but it also triggered a series of heroine events related to Elisha.

“I’m looking forward to it, in many ways.”

“Right?! I’m going to make lots of new friends!”

He had prepared countermeasures and a rough plan to ensure that Varis would be the one to clear the event.

“Hmm? Arnold and… Varis? You two seem close.”

As he was talking with Varis, a stern voice interrupted them.

“Professor?”

“Ah, hello…!”

It was Professor Adria. This was unrelated to the event, but…

“Socializing is also important in academy life.”

It seemed she… didn’t remember what happened at the tavern. If she did, he thought she would have reacted differently, even if she was trying to hide it.

“But it’s almost time for class, so go back to the classroom.”

But she was acting as if nothing had happened, her gaze still sharp and stern… He wondered if she had blacked out…

“Yes.”

“Understood…!”

Honestly, it was better this way. He didn’t have to worry about it if she didn’t remember. He and Varis obediently followed her instructions and headed back to the classroom.

…

“Hmm…”

Left alone in the hallway, Adria watched Arnold’s retreating figure.

“…He’s gone.”

After confirming he was out of sight, she quickly left and leaned against a wall in a deserted area.

“Huu…”

She covered her face with her hands and rubbed it,

“Ugh… What should I do…”

hiding her embarrassed expression as her ears turned crimson.

“I said those things to my student…!”

“Arnold must know…?! Sniff…”

She had been trying her best to hide it, but Adria vividly remembered what happened that night. How embarrassing it was to have whined about her age and begged a new student to marry her.

“What if he spreads rumors… Oh… I’ll never get married…”

She looked vulnerable, a stark contrast to her usual strict and intimidating demeanor. At this moment, she wasn’t the fearsome Professor Adria but a fragile young woman, clutching her pounding heart.

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“Is this the place, Master?”

“If the directions are correct, it should be that building.”

Time passed, and night fell as the sun set. Many people had gathered at the luxurious banquet hall located outside the academy.

“I see some familiar faces, so I think this is the right place!”

It seemed the academy had rented the entire building for the banquet. Its exterior resembled a temple from mythology.

“Oh?! Arnold!”

He arrived at the banquet hall with Eilly. They happened to run into Varis outside the entrance.

“Varis? What are you wearing…?”

“Hee~ Did I overdress? But I thought I should dress up for such a grand occasion.”

He was dressed in a black suit, a stark contrast to his usual casual attire. Personally, He felt the suit didn’t match Varis’s style.
His innocent demeanor clashed with the formal attire.

“Here, take this.”

It was fortunate that he had run into Varis. He could put his plan into action.

“What’s this?? Hmm… It says ‘High-Grade Purification Potion’?”

He handed Varis the potion he had prepared. It was for Elisha, in case of emergency.

“Now, listen carefully to what I’m about to say.”

As he had mentioned before, this event was related to Viekka, Elisha’s rival, and he had prepared for her scheme.

Viekka, a supporting villain in the story, had a strong inferiority complex towards Elisha. Consumed by jealousy, she often played cruel pranks on her.

She had planned something terrible for Elisha at this banquet. She intended to give Elisha a drink laced with a love potion and humiliate her publicly.

If no one intervened, Elisha would drink the spiked beverage and make a fool of herself, earning the scorn of everyone present.

The potion he gave Varis was for that very purpose. To purify Elisha if she happened to drink it.

“Uh, hmm? Why… What’s going on…?”

Of course, as he had said before, this was just a precaution.

“Can you do as I say later?”

He had a different plan in mind.

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“Viekka, are you ready?”

Before the banquet officially began, Viekka and her friends exchanged words in secret.

“Of course. I’ve hired a waiter and have him waiting outside~ Now, all I have to do is mix this love potion into the drink and give it to her.”

In a private room where no one else could enter, Viekka and the other noblewomen giggled wickedly, whispering about their plan.

“Huhuhu…”

Viekka, who particularly disliked Elisha, smiled sinisterly, her lips curling upwards.

“No problems?”

“Why would there be? I just have to ask the clueless waiter to deliver the drink.”

Viekka chuckled, imagining Elisha under the influence of the love potion.

The banquet officially began, and the lights dimmed.

As the welcoming speech began on the central stage, people would start reaching for their drinks, and that’s when she would send the waiter she had prepared to Elisha.

If the drink was successfully delivered, Elisha would consume the love potion after the speech.

The lights would come back on after the toast, and the first thing everyone would see would be Elisha making a spectacle of herself.

“Huhuhu… I can’t wait!”

“This is going to be fun.”

“Honestly, I’ve always disliked how Elisha acts so high and mighty.”

Viekka and the other noblewomen giggled, mocking Elisha’s impending humiliation.

“Welcome, all new students.”

A short while later, as they had anticipated, the headmaster’s voice echoed from outside the room, signaling the start of the speech.

“It’s starting.”

“Alright…”

Hearing the headmaster’s voice, Viekka carefully opened the door to the private room. The lights in the banquet hall were dimmed, as if the event had indeed begun.

““ …… ””

Everyone was silently facing the stage, listening to the headmaster’s speech.

“Yes, it’s started. Now then -”

As the speech concluded with a toast, everyone began to pick up their drinks.

“Hehe… Perfect.”

Viekka mixed the love potion into the prepared drink.

“Waiter? Could you deliver this drink to that blonde woman over there?”

She handed the glass to the waiter she had hired, who was waiting quietly outside the room.

“Certainly.”

The waiter, unaware of anything, placed the drink on a serving tray and walked gracefully towards Elisha.

“Yes…! Go, go…!”

Viekka watched the waiter approach Elisha with a sinister gaze, her eyes filled with malice and anticipation.

“Excuse me -”

The waiter finally spoke to Elisha quietly…

“If you don’t have a drink, would you like this…?”

“Ah, yes. Thank you.”

Elisha was about to accept the offered drink without suspicion.

“Yes…!!”

Just as Viekka was about to savor her victory—

“Oh… Oops…! I’m so sorry!”

—an unexpected guest intervened.

“…?! Who is that…!”

Just as Elisha was about to take the glass, a boy bumped into the waiter, pretending to trip.

“W-What?! Who is that blond brat?”

“I don’t know! He shouldn’t be doing that!”

Everyone was startled by the boy’s sudden appearance, as he seemingly unintentionally knocked over the waiter.

Clatter -!

The glass, which was meant for Elisha, and its contents spilled onto the floor.

“Viekka! What do we do now?!”

“I don’t know…! We were so close! Who is interrupting us?!”

They frowned, their wicked plan foiled in an instant. What had just happened? Viekka bit her lip in frustration as their carefully planned scheme crumbled before their eyes.

Creak -!

“Huh?”

But their bewilderment was short-lived, as the slightly ajar door to the private room was suddenly flung open from the outside.

“There you are. I’ve been looking for you.”

Another man appeared, the light from the room illuminating his figure. He had black hair and eyes filled with malice, his gaze sharp and intimidating.

“Wh-Who… are you?”

Viekka and her companions narrowed their eyes. A stranger was claiming to have been looking for them.

Click –

Without a word, the man pushed them inside the room and closed the door. He locked it firmly, as if to prevent any witnesses.

“Hey!! Who are you?! And how dare you push me?!”

Viekka was enraged by his rough actions. But he simply ignored her and glared coldly.

“Do you know who I am? Do you want to get hurt?!”

Viekka extended her arm and began drawing a magic circle with an annoyed tone. A blue spark flickered at her fingertips.

Grab –

“Agh?!”

But the man grabbed her arm tightly. She groaned in pain, the magic circle dissipating as if her bones were about to break from his grip alone.

“You… were trying to drug Elisha, weren’t you?”

The man seemed to know their secret, which they hadn’t told anyone.

“Wh-What…? Why…”

Viekka tried to deny it, pretending to be innocent.

Squeeze —

“U-Ugh… Aaaah!”

But his grip tightened. She winced in pain, tears welling up in her eyes.

“Sigh…”

The man sighed deeply, seemingly giving up on trying to reason with them. He blocked the only exit, the door, and declared,

“I think you need to be taught a lesson.”

“H-Hii…?!”

He slowly approached them, his overwhelming presence and undisguised hostility filling them with dread.

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Inside the dimly lit banquet hall, the headmaster’s speech still ongoing,

“A-Are you okay?”

Elisha checked on the boy who had suddenly tripped.

“Ow… Huh? Are you talking to me? I’m fine!”

He nodded vigorously, his enthusiastic personality evident from his first words.

“This is…”

Elisha’s expression hardened as she looked at the spilled drink.

“Don’t tell me -”

She hadn’t noticed in the dim light, but… the color of the drink the waiter was about to give her was strange.

It was an unnatural color, as if… pink had been forcibly mixed in. And a strong, medicinal smell that made her feel dizzy filled the air.

“…!”

She immediately understood the situation. Someone had intentionally tried to drug her through the waiter.

And instinctively, she knew it wasn’t anything good.

“That girl…!”

Elisha gritted her teeth, a hateful voice escaping her lips. She was disgusted by such a cowardly tactic to humiliate her.

“Viekka… I won’t forgive you!”

She trembled with rage, thinking of her rival, Viekka.

“Uh… Um… Are you alright? You look pale…”

But then, the boy who had unintentionally helped her spoke to her. Elisha forced a smile, putting aside her anger for a moment out of gratitude.

“Yes, I’m fine thanks to you. Thank you.”

“Hmm? For what?”

“Ah… No, I mean, I think you saved me. Could you tell me your name?”

“Hmm? My name is Varis. Just call me Varis.”

She thanked Varis and asked for his name.

“Varis… You saved me. I don’t know how to repay you.”

“Oh, really? But you don’t have to thank me.”

Varis shook his head as if it was nothing.

“I just tripped…”

“Still, you helped me.”

Elisha continued to express her gratitude.

“Ahaha… Is that so? Then I’m glad… But I was just following Arnold’s instructions -”

“Wh-What…?!”

But… then, an unexpected name came out of Varis’s mouth… and her expression changed drastically.

“Huh? You know Arnold? Well… he was with me earlier, but he said he had somewhere to go. He told me to ‘accidentally’ bump into anyone who acted suspiciously and make them spill their drink, so you would be safe or something….”

“I don’t know why just tripping with someone would save you~”

Varis grumbled about the pointless task Arnold had given him. But unlike his calm demeanor, Elisha’s reaction was the opposite.

“So, Arnold was the one who…”

She seemed confused, her hand running through her hair as if trying to organize her thoughts.

“….”

She was speechless for a while, seemingly in shock.

“Don’t tell me… Is it true?”

Finally accepting the reality, she muttered to herself,

“Arnold saved me again…?”

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Hi Lord Fourth here!
I’m new to translating so if you find some mistakes or inconsistencies let me know about it on the dedicated channel on discord.