The Villainess VTuber Tears People Apart

Looking at the number of betting chips, the situation became crystal clear.

The collaboration participants must have expected me to do well in this game.

That’s why everyone bet at least one chip on me.

‘…I should have aimed for second place instead of first.’

But there was no helping it. Since I couldn’t predict the escape situations of others, I couldn’t go with a strategy like, ‘Wait and escape as second.’

Perhaps my biggest mistake was betting too few chips on Sora.

“Aurora, you ended up with the least betting chips. How do you feel about that?”

The first thought that came to mind was, The rule that you can’t bet chips on yourself is quite unreasonable, but I didn’t bother saying it out loud. Kaiser had likely added that rule on purpose.

After all, this collaboration served as a kind of exchange platform.

By implementing the betting system, Kaiser likely aimed to prevent PK and further encouraged participants to think, I bet on that person, so I should help them escape.

Kaiser probably wanted all the Fantasy League participants to get along.

“As the daughter of a ducal family, I will accept this humbly.”

That was my response.

It was disappointing to lose so miserably in the betting match, but in a way, didn’t it prove my excellence?

This outcome was because all the participants had placed their betting chips on me. So, even though I lost, it didn’t feel particularly unpleasant.

What else could I do? I’m a noblewoman of a ducal family.

Above all else,

“So, what kind of penalty game will I have to do? A horror game?”

“Hmm… Aurora, you’re known to be strong against fear.”

“What do you think?”

If a person lacks the emotion of fear, they won’t feel tense. And without tension, one can make mistakes.

In that sense, there were moments when I felt fear. I simply knew how to conceal it and lived in a modern society where there weren’t many fear-inducing situations.

If a nuclear bomb were to drop above my head, even I would likely feel fear.

“If you want me to play a horror game, I’m more than willing.”

“Whether that would actually be a penalty for you, though….”

Kaiser chuckled as if the thought amused him. And he wasn’t wrong.

To be honest, I was curious too.

What kind of penalty could they possibly assign to me?

As Kaiser mentioned, horror games wouldn’t qualify as a penalty. Whether it was ghosts, zombies, or jump scares, it’s not like my actual life was at stake.

Thus, I couldn’t guarantee I’d give the typical “spicy reactions” characteristic of horror games.

If I had to force myself to act pitifully, I might manage, but my viewers knew me too well for that.

So, was there any other penalty they could impose?

After all, penalties were meant to be entertaining, not to truly punish someone.

Perhaps the most plausible penalty would be something that embarrassed me, like buying and reviewing an adult product.

That could work as a penalty game, but assigning such a task would raise questions about their humanity. It would undermine the branding and image of the VTuber “Aurora.”

So, they couldn’t assign something too extreme.

On the other hand, they couldn’t make it too easy either, given the circumstances.

“In any case, I’m not the one who decides the penalty game.”

At that moment, Kaiser spoke.

“Then who does decide, Brother?”

“Stop calling me ‘Brother.’ Of course, it’s decided by the respective first-place winners.”

“First place?”

“The first to escape assigns a penalty to the last to escape, and the top bettor assigns one to the lowest bettor. Does that sound fair?”

Kaiser sought agreement. Hmm, it was reasonable in a way.

When I thought about it, we’d heard about penalties for the losers but nothing about rewards for the winners. Kaiser must have intended this as a reward for the winners from the start.

“Does that mean I get to decide Laura’s penalty?”

Just then, Anna popped up.

Now that I thought about it, she was the top bettor.

“Yes, that’s correct. Anna, what penalty will you have Aurora perform?”

“I already have something in mind!”

Anna announced confidently.

“Laura, you’re going to be my maid from now on!”

…What did she just say?

***

“Did you pack everything, Unnie?”

Rion asked as she dragged along a suitcase.

A foolish question.

“Oh my, why are you asking me? You’re the one who packed my things, aren’t you?”

“…Why do you leave your own belongings to someone else?”

Rion mumbled with a dumbfounded look.

Apparently, Rion still didn’t understand how noblewomen operated. Even after living with me for three years, her realization came far too late.

A noblewoman rarely packs her own belongings.

Of course, if it were a family heirloom symbolic of her lineage or an engagement ring from her fiancé—items servants shouldn’t touch—then a noblewoman might handle them herself.

But servants were responsible for dressing noblewomen and adorning them with accessories.

For the daughter of a ducal family like me to pack my own clothes was unthinkable.

“A ducal family’s daughter, huh… going off to play someone’s maid.”

Frowning, Rion dragged the suitcase out.

She parked the car in front of the house, loaded my belongings into the trunk, and opened the car door for me. I waited for her to open it before boarding the vehicle.

“…Unnie, are you really okay with this? Staying at Anna’s house will be tough.”

“It’s a penalty. There’s no helping it, is there?”

I crossed my legs and folded my arms.

What crossed my mind was what had happened after the escape game.

-“So, you’re using your winner’s privilege to make me your maid.”

-“But it seems you’ve forgotten that I also have winner’s privileges.”

Anna was the top bettor but the last to escape.

I was the opposite—the lowest bettor but the first to escape.

In other words, I could also decide Anna’s penalty.

-“Just so you know, penalties can’t be canceled out!”

Anna declared firmly.

-“It’s better if we each carry out one penalty, isn’t it? Canceling them would be boring!”

-“Fine, whatever the penalty is, I’ll do it! But Laura, you’re my maid from now on!”

-“About that title.”

-“How I address my maid is up to me!”

Anna was tougher than I’d expected.

For a moment, I thought about scaring her with a horror game penalty, but Anna was resolute.

She was dead set on making me her servant, staking everything on it. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say she was willing to risk her life.

‘Can’t stop her, really.’

To commend Anna’s spirit of even daring to face a horror game, I decided to go along with the penalty.

Of course, it made no sense for me, a noble daughter of a ducal family, to serve as her maid forever.

With the Fantasy League starting in less than two weeks, I settled on staying at Anna’s house for about a week.

“Just so you know, I’m not staying at Anna’s place,” Rion suddenly said, as if sensing some ominous foreboding.

“…I only help with chores because I live in your house, but I won’t do any at Anna’s place.”

“I see.”

“So don’t call me over. Got it?”

Rion emphasized her point with great seriousness, which left me in a bit of a bind.

‘If only the last-place loser had been someone other than Anna.’

If it had been someone else, I could have made them my maid just as Anna made me hers, having them handle the housework instead.

The so-called “subcontracting of a subcontract” strategy would have been perfect—but alas, it was Anna.

I even thought of turning the tables and making Anna my maid in return.

I could be Anna’s maid, and Anna could be mine, creating a mutually chaotic dynamic where we were both masters and servants. That might have been amusing.

However, upon careful reflection, Anna had far too many disqualifying traits as a maid.

She couldn’t handle housework or cook; she was nearly useless. Frankly, she could compete with a house cat for the title of least helpful.

Had she not become a VTuber, she might have ended up a recluse.

Being a VTuber was clearly her calling. She should stick to it for the rest of her life.

Since no penalty involving housework would work with Anna, I assigned her a different one instead.

‘I could have gone with a horror game as her penalty.’

But that felt too predictable and dull.

Watching her play Party Playtime, it was clear she couldn’t handle horror games at all. Assigning something like Aseosal was out of the question.

So, I chose a penalty far more terrifying than a horror game.

Anna would surely regret making me her maid.

And for Anna to fulfill her penalty game perfectly, I would first need to demonstrate how penalties were carried out flawlessly.

A maid.

If I was going to do this, I’d do it thoroughly.

A noble daughter of a ducal family is always perfect.

And so, a maid role performed by the daughter of a ducal family must also be perfect.

“Unnie, we’re here.”

The car came to a stop.

Rion got out of the driver’s seat and opened the door for me.

We had arrived at the department store.

***

Although not as bad as Inagika, Anna’s lifestyle was still quite messy.

Years of living alone.

Her parents were close to neglectful in their approach to parenting.

As a result, there was no one to regulate Anna.

Free to do as she pleased, Anna lived exactly how she wanted. And since money was never an issue, her habits deteriorated further.

Thus, at 11 a.m., Anna finally opened her eyes.

“Are you awake?”

Just as she debated whether to stay in bed, a voice pierced through.

It resonated as though it gripped her heart and shook it.

Anna instinctively bolted upright.

“Oh my, a proper young lady should rise more gracefully.”

Feeling a gaze on her, Anna slowly turned her head.

When had she gotten there?

Hands neatly folded, Laura stood above her, looking down.

“The bathwater is ready. ──So please, make haste, Miss Anna.”

Her tone carried a faint hint of amusement as she spoke.

She wore a black suit.

The change in attire alone altered her presence, exuding both an oppressive weight and intense authority.

Even her tie was impeccably straight, and her clothes were without a single wrinkle.

The pants, instead of a skirt, only accentuated the sharpness of her look.

Yet despite the masculine silhouette, it didn’t diminish her femininity. If anything, the way her legs were perfectly outlined made Anna feel as though her breath had stopped.

“Aren’t you getting up?”

Laura moved closer, leaning down slightly.

Then, as an attendant might, she whispered in Anna’s ear.

“If you keep dawdling──I might just tear off your clothes and bedding and toss you into the bath naked. Ah, of course, that’s just a joke to wake you up, Miss Anna. Please, don’t take it seriously.”

With that, Laura pulled back.

She smiled faintly as if nothing had happened.

…Our family’s temporary maid was incredibly strict.