610 - I Was Genderswapped and Reincarnated as a Villainess, but I’m Making this My Personal Yuri Game

Having been summoned to the Nijou household yesterday left me utterly exhausted. Eiko-sama is terrifying... While the matriarch of the Konoe family is also formidable, Eiko-sama's particular brand of fear is uniquely different. Including Nobuko-sama of the Takatsukasa family, the women of the Gokita family are utterly intimidating. Putting that aside, during yesterday's meeting, it was decided that Mrs. Inada and a legal representative from the Ichijo lineage would be placed under the care of the Nijou family. I have no idea what their fate will be after that. They might have been taken to a place where they will never see the light of day again. As for the Inada family, all their seized assets were to be handed over to their creditors, and the family itself will now be under the surveillance of the Nijou family. While technically neither the head of the Inada family nor Kai faced direct punishment, the outcome practically equates to the stripping of their noble status. Regardless of their personal sentiments, their peers will no longer view the Inada family as nobility. I was saved from dealing with the Matsumoto family’s punishment. Just as I can't interfere with the Inada family, a part of the Nijou faction, there is no reason for the Nijou family to impose on the Matsumoto family, who are part of the Kujou faction. Since today, two etiquette trainees have been added to my surroundings. "Uh, g-good morning, Sakuya-sama!" "Good morning, Sakuya-sama!" "You both can take it easy, you know." After I finished dressing in my room, Kai and Fuki entered. Mabuki or Yuzu are meant to assist with my dressing, so these two do not partake in that. Formally speaking, they're merely etiquette trainees and not my maids. "N-no, that's too presumptuous!" "My father mentioned that the Matsumoto family was supposed to be dismantled. We cannot feel at ease after you granted such leniency, Sakuya-sama!" Kai is still so stiff... And Fuki is just too earnest. With a father who was a devoted and rigid retainer, it’s no surprise the child turned out as earnest or rigid themselves... As part of the Matsumoto family's punishment, I asked for their daughter as an etiquette trainee. Though Kai didn't end up homeless, he was at risk of becoming a target of bullying at school. By having them serve as etiquette trainees, I intended to ensure their safety... Although etiquette training can involve menial tasks that might lower one's status, it's not unusual for daughters from respectable families to serve as etiquette trainees in even more prestigious households. It certainly doesn’t guarantee one will be looked down upon as a maid or trainee. By serving as my etiquette trainees, these two effectively come under my protection. Bullying or harming them would be viewed as an act of hostility towards me. While I can't completely prevent all covert forms of bullying, it should at least serve as a deterrence. "Additionally, while it’s fine at home, at school you should address me as 'Senpai' as before." "Th-that's too presumptuous..." "And 'Senpai' was what you persuaded us to call you last time, wasn't it, Sakuya-sama..." "Under-stood?" "Y-yes!" Upon my urging, both responded affirmatively. I’m pleased that cute underclassmen would call me 'Senpai!', so being addressed as 'Sakuya-sama' even at school isn't something I'd enjoy. For now, the Inada and Matsumoto families have agreed to offer their daughters in restitution for troubling me. Once assured that the two aren't being bullied, they can graduate from etiquette training. I don't know how long this lifestyle will continue, but for now, I should enjoy having girls my own age around the house a little. Mwahaha! ~~~~~~~ "Hmm-hmm, hm-hmm~♪" Sitting on the edge of the bed, I continued with my embroidery. The two had come earlier this morning after I finished my morning practice in the Momochi style. Once I returned and changed, they arrived and since then, I’ve been crafting items to sell at the cultural festival. Though I’m not particularly adept at girl-centric hobbies, I must strive to create many pieces for a delightful festival with everyone. "Sakuya-sama, Oogimachisanjo-sama is here to see you—whoa! What is all this?!" Fuki entered, surprised at the chaotic state of my room. With threads strewn about as I sat on the bed's edge embroidering, it was not very lady-like. But, to clarify, I occasionally shifted positions between sitting on a chair or the bed and wasn’t perching on the bed the entire time. Staying in the same position for long periods can be tiring and unhealthy. Though the embroidery threads might appear scattered to outsiders, they’re actually sorted systematically to my understanding—not merely strewn around. "Oh, I apologize for the mess. It's for the cultural festival. But it's sorted in a way I understand, so please leave it as is." "Understood. But… have you completed all this since this morning?" Fuki gaped at the heap of embroidered handkerchiefs. Despite the small pile of completed embroidered handkerchiefs, each bore only a small design, making them quick to complete. "Yes, well... those are the ones I finished this morning." "To have done all this in such a short time…" Fuki appeared dumbfounded at my lack of ladylike tidiness. I may not fit the image of a refined Kujou family daughter, even if it's for a cultural festival. If I don't serve as an exemplary role model for these forebearers, I might impact them negatively. I’ll have to make an effort to be someone they can look up to... "Fuki-chan? What’s wrong? Where’s Sakuya-sama?" Kai quietly peeked into the room. Such behavior isn’t very becoming. I should remedy that. "Kai-chan, I must caution you that such actions aren’t commendable. Now it's fine, but be mindful." "Y-yes! My apologies!" At my gentle reprimand, Kai shrank with humility. It wasn’t meant to be harsh criticism... I’m gradually understanding Kai and Fuki's personalities. Kai is somewhat timid or overly considerate, while Fuki is bold, with a steely resolve akin to his father's, though slightly too stern or serious. "Well then... more importantly, Oogimachisanjo-sama is waiting..." "Oh! That's right! In that case, I'll head over to Kaya-san. Please leave the embroidery tools and threads where they are." "Yes." I hadn't arranged to meet with Kaya-san today, yet she suddenly came to visit. I knew she was coming because she contacted me a little while ago, but her arrival was earlier than expected. It's almost as if Kaya-san has begun to emulate Shion… or perhaps it's the other way around, with Shion being somewhat like Kaya-san. "I'm sorry for the wait, Kaya-san. What brings you here today... hmph…" "Oh, Sakuya-chan! I've missed you so much!" Upon entering the drawing room, I was immediately enveloped in a somewhat firm embrace. I knew it was Kaya-san's chest. However, through layers of clothing and lingerie, it felt a bit hard... If it were skin-to-skin with a soft sensation, it would have been ideal, but with clasps and buttons occasionally poking, it was less pleasant. "Sakuya-chan, you never come to see your big sister! I couldn't bear it anymore and simply had to visit!" "Mm… I'm sorry. I've been so busy and haven't had the chance..." With my face nestled securely against Kaya-san's bosom, I found myself apologizing. Honestly, I could have made time to meet her more often. But I had let various excuses diminish the frequency of our visits, not deliberately, but enough that there was no room to deny it when pointed out. Citing the preparations for the sports event and the cultural festival, I admittedly lowered the priority of seeing Kaya-san. There’s no doubt this is the case. It's not that I didn't want to see her or grew to dislike her; the numbers simply paint the stark truth. "Hey, Sakuya-chan, why don’t we go out together now? Wouldn’t that be nice?" "R-right now?" I had a Tsuyumoe meeting planned for the afternoon, and as always, my Mochizuki-style practice in the evening. I also intended to get ahead on cultural festival preparations... "And here I thought you didn't care about your big sister, Sakuya-chan..." "Oh no! That’s not true at all! I’d be delighted to go anywhere with you, Kaya-san!" "My, really? That makes me so happy. Then, shall we head out now?" "Ah… yes…" When Kaya-san started sobbing, I rushed to console her, only for her to immediately perk up as if it were all an act. Apparently, it was just crocodile tears. As always, I find myself caught up in Kaya-san's whims, yet it doesn’t feel all that bad. It’s not about being led by some spoiled rich girl… Kaya-san surely noticed I needed a break and decided to visit. Thinking about it, I've barely ventured out except for school or lessons recently. My routine has been school, lessons, and cultural festival preparation. Certainly, preparations for the cultural festival are necessary, but it's not something I should be handling all by myself. It gains its significance from everyone participating together. Although I've been crafting at home to increase quantity, becoming exclusively absorbed to the neglect of everything else would be a grave mistake. The aim is to enjoy the cultural festival together with everyone, not to sacrifice all else in its pursuit. Kaya-san must have come to impart this valuable lesson to me. What a wonderful elder sister she is. "So let's get in touch with my instructors and go out with Kaya-san today." "Thank you, Sakuya-chan! I'm so touched that you'd skip your lessons for me! Mwah!" "What!? K-Kaya-san!?" Once again, she embraced me and gave me a kiss on the forehead. Even if it’s just the forehead, there's no way a guy wouldn’t feel something when kissed by a beautiful, current JD like Kaya-san. She’s inexplicably unaware of her allure, despite being a college student now. "Hah…" "They’re cuddling like that…" "Hm...? Sakuya-chan, who are those?" Outside the reception room, peering in, were Kai and Fuki. I’d just admonished them about the impropriety of peeping through doors, yet here they were again. "These are Inada Kai-chan and Matsumoto Fuki-chan, here as etiquette trainees starting today. You two were explicitly told not to peek in through doors earlier, correct?" "We're so sorry!" The two bowed their heads as I reprimanded them. Their intentions and actions are somewhat understandable. Maids and butlers need to be especially careful when entering rooms. They can't just walk in during private conversations or secretive meetings. Thus, they must gauge the atmosphere of the room and enter at a time convenient for their master. They should be attuned to moments when the master wishes to end a conversation or maintain privacy, and act accordingly. True proficiency entails recognizing such windows, relying on practice and intuition. It’s common for neophytes to hesitate, uncertain of when to enter, thus resorting to peeking in. This skill is crucial not just for staff but for daughters of noble houses, too. It’s clear that the two girls haven’t yet mastered the skill of discerning when to knock and enter, leading them to discreetly observe the room from outside. However, making it blatantly obvious only worsens the situation, so they need to find subtler ways to gauge the room and act accordingly. "Well... it was partly because we left the door open upon entering and got carried away, so the situation wasn’t entirely your fault. However, behaving in ways that make it seem you’re spying from outside isn’t appropriate." "Understood…" Both appeared contrite. While we were the ones to leave the door open, leading to this misunderstanding, it's still no excuse for snooping. A more tactful approach, like subtly closing the door, is necessary. As etiquette trainees, their job is to learn, so their inexperience shouldn’t be condemned. They need gentle corrections and to learn by observing their seniors. "More importantly, Sakuya-chan! Hurry, let's go!" "Hehe. Yes, let me just prepare a bit." With Kaya-san urging me impatiently, I made ready before heading out together with her. Support by Liking Currently Not Accepting Support Show your support for the author with points! Please log in to rate. ※ Please log in to leave feedback. ▲ Back to the top of the page Share on X (formerly Twitter) · Share on LINE Send via Twitter LINE + Note + Unless otherwise specified, all works published are fictional and bear no relation to any real persons or organizations. Unless otherwise specified, copyright for the works belongs to the author (with some exceptions). Unauthorized reproduction beyond citation by anyone other than the author is prohibited and constitutes a violation of copyright law. This work is link-free. Feel free to link (introduce) it. This work is compatible with computers. It automatically determines if you are using a smartphone or computer and displays the appropriate page. The reading time of this work assumes a speed of 500 characters per minute. Use this as a guideline. Author's My Page Typo Report ▲ Back to the top of the page Become a Novelist: Read Novels! Search Information Provision