The Villainous Older Sister Who Loves Her Younger Sister Aims for the Guillotine 122

122: Grilled Sausages

“Grilled… sausages?”

Huh.

While I had unconsciously echoed my sister’s words, there was nothing unusual about the stall she had pointed to.

Sausages were a staple of processed meat in Eustasia.

The existence of multiple proverbs involving sausages was a testament to their importance.

They were a common food, enjoyed by both commoners and nobles.

Among the countless varieties and ways to prepare them, grilled sausages on a stick were classic street food, a commoner’s treat.

While I had been curious about trying them, I hadn’t had the opportunity.

Ciel would surely have allowed it, but it wasn’t something I could easily suggest, as a noble, a member of a ducal family, and, moreover, the daughter of the infamous “Coldhearted Vanderwaals.”

So, while I had eaten sausages outside the mansion, at Camilla’s Tavern and other places, I had never had them from a street vendor.

“I’ll go buy some!”

My sister dashed off.

“Leti.”

“I’ll be right back!”

Leticia turned around and waved.

Adorable, but why was she in such a hurry?

――As if she were on an urgent mission.

I wondered if she was really that hungry, but it seemed like something more.

Had she been wanting to try them for a while?

As I slowly approached the stall, the vendor was just taking a batch of plump, browned sausages off the grill.

The vendor was a young woman with her blonde hair tied back and a white towel wrapped around her head like a bandana, reminding me of the marines from the Greyfield joint exercise.

There were beads of sweat on her forehead. While it was an autumn day, the sky was clear, and the sun was strong. And she was standing in front of a hot grill.

She had a similar towel wrapped around her wrist, which she used to wipe her brow.

As I stood behind Leticia, she gave me a bright, cheerful smile.

“Ketchup and mustard? Just one is fine, and if you don’t like either, I have salt.”

“I’ll leave it to you! …Is that okay with you, Elder Sister?”

“I’ll have what you recommend… no, wait, salt, please.”

She nodded and quickly added ketchup and mustard from small jars to one sausage, using a teaspoon.

She sprinkled salt on the other.

“Here you go. Careful, they’re hot.”

“Thank you.”

“—Here you go, Elder Sister!”

Leticia, holding the two sausages, one with condiments and one with salt, offered me one.

As I took it, I wondered who was paying.

“My treat.”

Leticia said, sounding pleased.

I wondered if it was appropriate for a younger sister to treat her older sister, but seeing her smile, I couldn’t say anything.

“You can use that bench over there, if you like.”

After a moment’s hesitation, I accepted her offer.

While she was a vendor and we were customers, such straightforward kindness, without any ulterior motives, was precious to someone like me, the head of a noble family.

My sister had said something about wanting something we could eat while walking… but there was no need to rush.

As I sat down on the bench, Leticia sat next to me.

We exchanged glances.

And then, without any prior agreement, we both took a bite at the same time.

The satisfying snap of the casing, almost bursting with juices, browned to perfection.

The flavorful juices spreading through my mouth.

The perfect balance of salt.

I took another bite and nodded in approval.

I looked at my sister.

“Leticia, can I have a bite of yours?”

“…Huh?!”

My sister, who had been happily munching on her sausage, looked at me, her eyes wide.

“Elder Sister?”

“I won’t if you don’t want me to.”

My sister, who had been blinking rapidly, suddenly looked determined.

“No! Not at all! Please, have the rest!”

Leticia offered me her half-eaten sausage.

Avoiding the skewer, I took a bite from the middle.

As I did, a strand of her hair fell across her face, and I gently tucked it behind her ear.

“—!”

Leticia’s eyes widened.

Perhaps she was surprised by the different flavor, or perhaps by the equally high quality despite the different seasonings.

As Leticia chewed, I heard her swallow.

I might enjoy watching her eat.

After finishing her bite, my sister covered her eyes with her hands, still holding the skewer.

Then, she murmured,

“It’s delicious, but… I’m so confused…”

I was also confused.

As I watched my sister’s strange behavior, I overheard the vendor’s soft murmur.

“You two are close, aren’t you?”

Close.

“—!”

I stood up abruptly.

We weren’t supposed to be close. While I had decided to treat today’s outing as… not an official date… that was a separate matter.

I had to maintain my image as a villainous sister.

“I was just curious about the different flavor!”

It was an excuse, but it was also true.

However, remembering my earlier… natural behavior, I was clearly in the wrong.

Was this because… I had allowed an exception with the trout chips in Vandergant?

“Customers with refined palates are intimidating. But it makes me happy to see you enjoying the food.”

The vendor chuckled.

Then she continued,

“You look like a couple.”

“Do we?”

“We’re sisters.”

The blonde vendor chuckled and waved her hand dismissively.

“I can tell, you look alike.”

The only clear resemblance was our blue eyes.

And even that wasn’t uncommon in Eustasia.

Our hair color, our height… our builds… were all different.

The only reason we looked alike was because we shared the same father.

While I sometimes wished we shared the same mother, that was irrelevant to her now.

We couldn’t have met any other way.

And I… could only follow fate.

I couldn’t choose any other path.

I didn’t know any other path.

I wasn’t sure how today’s outing with my sister would fit into the scenario, but it would probably work out somehow.

“…Let’s go.”

“Okay.”

I offered Leticia my hand, and she stood up, her hand lightly gripping mine.

Then, she leaned against me, holding my arm.

I turned to the vendor.

“—Excellent. Both the grilling and the seasoning… While I can’t reveal my identity, I assure you, it rivals even the finest restaurants.”

“That sounds like something someone important would say…”

I averted my gaze slightly.

Well, she probably guessed we were nobles.

“But it’s a welcome endorsement. You two be good to each other.”

“Yes!”

Leticia waved goodbye to the vendor.

Everyone kept saying we were close, that we were good sisters.

Why did they say such things?

――Things I couldn’t be.

…Things that were only allowed… for now.

Why?