116: Reading Time with My Sister
On that sofa over there, together.
I repeated her words in my mind and followed Leticia’s gaze.
…A two-seater sofa by the window.
Upholstered in red leather, with carved ivy decorations on the wooden frame, it was a piece befitting a noble family. I had memories of sitting there with my mother and Ciel when I was younger. I had even seen my parents sitting there together once, reading.
There… together?
The part of me that longed to be a ‘good older sister’ reacted instinctively.
…No, no, absolutely not.
Lately, I had been using the single armchair.
I couldn’t remember exactly when I had stopped using the two-seater sofa with Ciel, but thinking back, it was probably around the time I came of age at sixteen.
Perhaps around the time I returned to the mansion after completing the knight training program in Vandergant.
Even with Ciel, I no longer shared the sofa, so with my sister…?
I was now the head of the Vanderwaals family, the villainous sister of [Moonlight Liberium].
“Don’t be absurd.”
My role was to torment my younger sister.
So, I had to make an effort to be disliked in situations like this.
“That’s enough. Don’t interrupt my reading.”
“I won’t interrupt.”
Hmm?
I thought that was the end of the conversation, but my sister persisted.
Unable to simply turn and walk away, I reluctantly turned back to her, ready to explain.
“So…”
“What’s the difference between this and our breaks after dance lessons?”
What?
It was true that I let her use my lap as a pillow after our dance lessons.
I had given in to Leticia’s persistence once, and then it had become a habit.
What was the difference?
Leticia pressed her point, taking advantage of my momentary silence as I searched for an answer.
“There’s no difference, is there?”
This was strange.
I was losing control of the conversation?
Even if I had thought it would be nice to read together on the sofa, like close sisters…
It wasn’t necessary. In fact, it would be a failure as a villainous sister.
I started to argue.
“This is different from a dance le—”
“Come on, let’s go.”
Was she even listening?
She linked her arm with mine mid-sentence and dragged me along.
I glanced at Ciel… but she wasn’t where I expected her to be.
I looked around and saw her at the back of the library, opening the curtains.
She waved, her expression as composed as ever.
What did that mean?
I felt a distance between us, a distance I hadn’t felt before with my long-time assistant.
Before I knew it, I was sitting on the two-seater sofa, next to Leticia.
What just happened…?
“…My time is valuable.”
I glared at my sister, trying to sound as annoyed as possible.
Leticia, seemingly unaffected by my glare, smiled.
“—Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule for me, Elder Sister.”
It wasn’t that I had ‘taken time out’; it had been… commandeered.
If it weren’t for my kind-hearted sister, I would have taken her response as sarcasm.
I sighed.
A genuine sigh, not a villainous affectation.
I never thought there would come a day when I would concede defeat in a battle of words.
In moments like this, I felt pathetic, realizing how much I relied on my family name, the “Coldhearted Vanderwaals”… on my status as a member of a ducal family, and on my infamous, yet convenient, ‘reputation.’
…How should I even interact with my sister, who was completely unfazed by all of that?
While I felt I should maintain my facade as the sarcastic older sister for the sake of my villainous pride, I no longer had the energy.
Blaming fate for my predicament, I decided to simply enjoy reading.
I would do my best with the [Official Events].
As a mere villain, I didn’t have many scenes left anyway.
The final [Choice-Based Individual Event] was fast approaching.
I didn’t know who my sister would choose…
For now, I would call a truce.
I placed the book on my lap, adjusted my position, and opened the page.
I began to read.
Feeling my sister’s warmth beside me.
And… a certain gaze.
I glanced at her, and my sister smiled shyly, hiding her face behind her book.
My sister was too cute.
Why wasn’t I allowed to hug her?
…Because I was the [Villainous Sister].
Even such obvious things… I tended to forget when blinded by my sister’s cuteness.
I was the [Villainous Sister] in the romance simulation game, [Moonlight Liberium]—a petty villain who played pranks on the protagonist.
And my half-sister was the [Protagonist], who would find love, while I, in the background, would be sent to the guillotine and executed.
That was the extent of our relationship.
The reason I accepted such a role was because my sister was too adorable.
Her past, and the story she was about to embark on, had… affected me.
If I could be by her side, I didn’t need anything else.
My position as the head of the ducal family, even my own life, were worthless compared to my sister’s happiness.
I wanted to stay like this forever.
Like this, by her side.
But I didn’t have such a future.
So, just for now…
…I shouldn’t be like this.
Becoming close would only make parting more painful.
Even though I knew that.
Even so… I wanted to stay like this.
I couldn’t bear the thought of no longer feeling my sister’s warmth beside me.
I couldn’t give up the simple act of looking at her and receiving a smile in return.
Even if it all vanished like dew on the guillotine.
Even if I knew it would only hurt her more.
I was being cruel.
More cruel than being sarcastic and pushing her away.
If I truly cared about my sister…
…I should have been the perfect [Villainous Sister].
I should have been a villain who felt nothing—or even a twinge of joy—at my death.
While I felt ashamed of my weakness…
…I couldn’t help but feel happy… that my sister was by my side.
