120: Our Destination
“So, you said you wanted to leave the destination up to me…”
While we had started walking, I didn’t know where we were going.
Today was about listening to my sister’s wishes.
While it felt like I was making choices a villainous sister absolutely shouldn’t, if such minor things could alter fate, I would be grateful.
I had a sliver of hope.
That perhaps, if the small deviations accumulated, it might lead to a different outcome…
If that happened, I would have been needlessly mean to my sister.
…If I apologized then, would she forgive me?
While I wasn’t sure if I could forgive such behavior, I was confident that I could forgive Leticia for anything, instantly.
…However, I had never been subjected to ‘meanness.’ I didn’t know if I could truly forgive it.
The closest experience was the knight training program, but while the instructor was strict, he was also fair.
He had simply held me to the same standards as the other knights.
While I had been hurt by thoughtless words and rumors, I, too, had often wondered why a ducal daughter was undergoing knight training, so perhaps such rumors were inevitable.
“Yes, Elder Sister. I have a few places in mind, but not too many… I, um, I lived in the capital, but…”
“Ah, yes. I understand.”
There was no need for her to elaborate.
My sister didn’t try to hide the fact that she was from the “back alley.”
She didn’t seem ashamed of it.
…But she must have had some difficult experiences.
It was easy to forget sometimes, because she was so cheerful, adorable, innocent, earnest, and hardworking…
…that my sister was just a seventeen-year-old girl.
Few would envy her position, having gone from pauper to noble overnight.
According to Ciel’s reports, public opinion was sympathetic towards my sister. At least, there weren’t any widespread negative rumors.
A mother and daughter, victims of the heartless whims of the aloof nobility.
An older sister who was, of all things, the head of the cold and ruthless Vanderwaals.
It was the kind of situation that made people chuckle wryly and say, “Well, at least she was taken in by a noble family, but any other family would have been better…”
I loved my sister.
I wanted to dote on her, spoil her.
But if I did, she would lose her qualifications as the [Protagonist].
I only had a little over a year with my sister.
And in that short time, I had to give her the tools to survive.
And time was running out.
“So… if Elder Sister has anywhere she wants to go… please…”
“Alright. Let’s do that.”
Leticia smiled shyly as she lightly touched my arm.
“Anywhere is fine with me… as long as I’m with Elder Sister.”
Her smile seemed… precious and… noble.
The reason my sister’s adorableness made me choose the guillotine wasn’t simply because of her appearance.
How much effort had it taken for her to remain so… pure… despite the hardships and pain she must have endured?
In that district, it was easy to become tainted, to be bent and twisted, even broken.
I, who judged such a life as a mistake from my privileged position, wasn’t righteous, nor was I pure… I didn’t believe in justice.
Even so, my sister’s unwavering spirit was dazzling.
While I had lived a comfortable life—though whether my noble education, poison resistance training, traversing the “Black Forest,” working at the tavern and other places to earn money, and the knight training program could be called ‘comfortable’ was debatable…
While I had lived comfortably, my sister must have struggled to survive.
The words she had once spoken, “I just… lived my life…” How much heavier was that ‘just’ compared to the life of a ducal lady?
“…Alright.”
Everyone could only walk their own path.
Even so, I wanted to walk my path for my sister.
As long as Leticia was happy, I didn’t care where my path led.
Just for this moment…
“Let’s walk through the capital together today.”
“—! Okay!!”
Leticia beamed and hugged my arm tightly, pressing her chest against it.
My smile vanished.
My sister’s cuteness, her adorableness, the destructive power of her smile, the feel of her chest against my arm, everything… overwhelmed my capacity as the head of a ducal family.
Leticia looked up at me, slightly anxious at my sudden silence and expressionless face.
“…Elder Sister? Is something… wrong?”
What was I thinking?
