The Villainous Older Sister Who Loves Her Younger Sister Aims for the Guillotine 118

118: The Rendezvous

To be honest, I considered canceling my outing with Leticia, even though I had already agreed.

I couldn’t think of a single benefit.

Except for my own enjoyment, of course.

It wasn’t part of the [Moonlight Liberium] storyline, offered no advantage to my sister.

But every time I tried to bring it up, Leticia would smile at me.

Seeing her look so forward to the weekend, I couldn’t bring myself to cancel.

…I knew I would hurt her.

If I died, my sister would probably grieve.

Even so, I aimed for the guillotine.

I couldn’t change my way of life now.

I had walked this paved path for too long.

While others struggled through the mud, drowning in their hardships.

I had enjoyed the privileges of nobility.

Therefore, I should die a noble.

Making that decision brought a strange sense of peace.

I would leave the task of comforting my heartbroken sister to her chosen [Capture Target].

Even a painful decision was still a decision.

It was better than the anxiety of indecision.

And so, the day of my outing with Leticia arrived.

I spoke to Ciel, in her maid uniform, at the entrance of the mansion.

“Ciel, I leave the mansion in your care.”

“Yes. …Enjoy yourselves.”

I scoffed.

“I intend to use this opportunity to instill proper noble conduct in my sister.”

That was my official reason for this outing.

I left the mansion and walked through the capital alone.

It had been a while.

While I was undoubtedly being shadowed by guards, that was normal.

I usually used a carriage and was accompanied by servants.

So, even the simple act of walking alone through the city felt… liberating.

The reason I had left the mansion alone was because Leticia wanted to meet at a designated location.

Apparently, she had always wanted to experience a ‘rendezvous.’

I had initially dismissed it as ridiculous, since we lived in the same mansion, but seeing how much Leticia was looking forward to it, I had relented.

It was true that meeting at a designated location was a common trope in date scenarios.

While it seemed a bit… out of place in noble society, her charm transcended such social constructs.

She was too big for the confines of noble society, even for royalty. She was truly a [Protagonist] guided by fate.

Strangely, it was because she wasn’t special.

Despite not being special, she would navigate this tumultuous story.

I admired that.

At the same time, there was someone who thought, Who is this spoiled, narrow-minded, sarcastic little villain…? And that someone… was ‘me.’

Not an obstacle in the story, not even a rival in love. Just a part of the setting, clearly there for contrast with the protagonist.

But even in such a role, I had a name, I had scenes, and I could interact with my sister.

The price was the guillotine, but if I could witness Leticia’s cuteness up close, it was a price I was willing to pay.

Our meeting place was in front of a statue in a square in the capital. A bronze statue of Acht, the beloved dog of the founding king, the first King of Eustasia.

It was said that the dog never left his master’s side after he fell ill, and even after his death, refused to leave his master’s grave.

While the nearby residents apparently fed him, he soon followed his master in death, and out of respect, people started calling him ‘Duke’ Acht.

Later, a statue was erected in his memory.

Since my official title was Duchess Vandergant, we were, in a way, equals.

While it was sometimes treated as a tourist attraction, it was just a statue, so it wasn’t particularly interesting.

However, it was a well-known landmark in the capital, a popular meeting spot.

The capital, while not as complex as Vandergant, was still an old city with winding streets.

Had I arrived too early, having taken a shortcut?

I carefully took out my pocket watch, making sure the crest wasn’t visible, and saw that I was fifteen minutes early.

I casually looked around.

A well-dressed young man, who had been pacing nervously, beamed as a young woman in a beautiful dress approached. —A date, perhaps. They exchanged the usual pleasantries, “Sorry to keep you waiting,” “I just got here,” and then walked away from the statue together.

The people waiting in front of the statue changed constantly.

And I… felt like I was the only one left behind.

I looked down at the pocket watch in my hand.

Lost in thought, I absently listened to the ticking of the hands and watched the gears turning beneath the crystal.

There were two [Events] remaining.

Aside from the [Final Ball], which was mostly fixed regardless of her choice of partner, the epilogue [Guillotine], and the [Ending].

The remaining events were the [Date Event] and one other.

Today wasn’t a date. It was a sisterly outing. Probably.

My sister would probably go on a date with someone later.

However, there was something that bothered me.

…Were the [Events] even happening?

She had met all three of them.

And they had interacted, to some extent.

But hadn’t the [Inspection Event] and the [Horse Riding Event] been… strangely lacking in [Official Lines]?

…Was their [Favorability] towards her too low?

No, that couldn’t be it. They were clearly smitten with Leticia.

It was only natural, considering how charming my sister was.

Then… perhaps…

…Leticia herself wasn’t interested in any of them…?

“Elder Sister!”

A tap on my shoulder made me jump.

“Oh, I’m sorry. Did I startle you?”

“N-no, I was just… lost in thought…”

The shock made me forget what I had been thinking about.

Just then, the clock tower bell chimed.

Leticia raised her voice slightly to be heard over the bells.

“…Have you been waiting long?”

Still flustered, my heart pounding, I blurted out the first words that came to mind.

“[No, I just got here.]”

It was a reflexive response, the same standard line the young man from earlier had used, and I thought, Ah, this is just like in the story…

I always felt that way when following the script of [Moonlight Liberium], but it was rare to feel that way outside of the scenario, especially not from the villain’s perspective.

Leticia’s face brightened at my words.

Had I said something that special?

The bell finished chiming as we spoke.

The sound, which I usually ignored, now sounded like a blessing.

“Perfect timing. It’s good to be punctual.”

I had been waiting.

But that was because I had taken a shortcut, not wanting to keep my sister waiting, and arrived early.

As indicated by the clock tower bell, I was right on time.

With the chiming of the bell, people met their waiting partners… or gave up and left the statue of the dog.

I put my pocket watch back in my shirt pocket.

Leticia, still smiling, complimented my outfit.

“Elder Sister, it reminds me of Vandergant. The cape, the same color as the sky today, suits you very much.”

“…Thank you.”

Complimenting someone’s attire was a common social nicety among nobles, almost like a greeting.

But with Leticia’s smile, it almost sounded like a flirtatious remark.

Instead of my usual navy blue jacket with the family crest, I was wearing a bright blue cape over a white, long-sleeved shirt.

And the same blue skirt I had worn during the inspection. While it was officially autumn, autumn in the capital was similar to summer in the north.

I kept my pocket watch in my shirt pocket, both to be able to display the gecko crest if necessary and because I felt… uneasy without it.

While it was somewhat complicated, since my half-sister had a matching one, it was a gift from my father and a symbol of the Vanderwaals family.

Thinking positively, it was also a matching item with my sister.

“So, um…”

My sister fidgeted.

I waited, wondering what she wanted to say. She bit her lip.

“…How do I look… today?”