The Villainous Older Sister Who Loves Her Younger Sister Aims for the Guillotine 126

126: The Mega-Sized Sandwich

I examined the sandwich Leticia had given me.

It was filled with lettuce, onions, pickles, and bacon.

Standard ingredients, but the bacon was thick, and there were extra layers of lettuce and onions between the slices.

While I had been too focused on my sister to pay much attention earlier, now that it was in my hands, its sheer size was… overwhelming.

Weren’t sandwiches supposed to be… more manageable?

“A knife… or something…”

I murmured, but there were no plates, and, naturally, no knives.

While using a knife and fork to eat a sandwich was taking table manners to an extreme, they were usually much thinner, and the bread wasn’t this large, square loaf. They were usually cut diagonally into triangles, or even quartered.

“How… am I supposed to eat this…?”

I was at a loss, faced with this… block of bread, vegetables, and meat.

“Like this… just… you know…”

Leticia opened her mouth wide—I was worried her jaw might dislocate—and took a large bite.

She closed her eyes, chewing contentedly.

After swallowing, she smiled.

“It’s as big as they said. Very filling.”

I didn’t consider myself particularly refined, not as a noble lady or as the head of a ducal family.

While I had learned proper etiquette to avoid being underestimated, in my position, a sarcastic smirk and a withering glare, meant to break your opponent’s spirit, were far more important than a polite, demure smile.

Ciel had drilled all sorts of… survival skills into me, skills that seemed excessive, even for the head of the family.

Thanks to her training, and the knight training program, I was used to eating outdoors, without the constraints of formal etiquette—or so I thought.

It seemed I had been overconfident.

I was surely being observed, even now.

I had left the selection of guards to Ciel. Someone was undoubtedly guarding—watching—my sister and me without being noticed.

I was constantly being observed, tested to see if I was worthy of being the head of the family.

Even the simple act of opening my mouth wide and taking a bite of a sandwich… I had to consider whether it was befitting my position.

But that seemed… ridiculous.

I wasn’t going to abandon my role as the head of the family.

The name “Coldhearted Vanderwaals” carried weight.

However, I hadn’t intended for that pride to be shaken by something as trivial as eating a… mega-sized sandwich from a street vendor.

I recalled the tea party, where Prince Konrad, in his overzealous attempt to impress my sister, had set up a steak-grilling station.

The young ladies, driven by curiosity despite their uncertainty about proper etiquette, had gathered there.

And the boring, judgmental people who looked down on their small adventure.

…Sometimes, the role of the villainous sister, constantly picking on her younger sister, demanded that I be on the same level as those… people.

I was the villainous sister.

As the villainous sister, I aimed for the guillotine.

I would reproduce the official scenario as faithfully as possible.

But right now, during this outing with my sister, rejecting something she had offered me would be a betrayal of my own pride.

This moment was something Leticia had prepared for me, using her own time and money.

My sister, trying to connect with her often harsh and sarcastic older sister.

I couldn’t reciprocate.

…All I could do was follow the official scenario.

I didn’t know any other path. I couldn’t choose any other path. I didn’t have the courage.

But I could at least… open my mouth.

I opened my mouth wide, and then, realizing it wasn’t wide enough, understanding why my sister had opened hers so wide earlier, I opened it even wider.

I had never opened my mouth so wide before.

As the head of a ducal family, bearing the blood-stained gecko crest, it was probably an unseemly sight.

I took a large bite, and the crisp crunch of the vegetables between the bread was pleasant. The bacon, which I had expected to be tough due to its thickness, was surprisingly tender. It had been subtly scored. A thoughtful touch.

The bacon was salty and fatty, but it complemented the generous amount of vegetables, and eating it outdoors, feeling the breeze against my cheeks, was invigorating.

The cucumber pickles, which I barely tasted in the first bite, added a refreshing tartness that prevented the sandwich from becoming overwhelming.

In short, it was incredibly satisfying and… fun.

“…I’ve… never eaten anything like this before.”

I murmured.

Leticia looked at me anxiously.

“But… it’s good.”

My sister’s face brightened.

While I hadn’t said it to please her, seeing the cheerful expression of the person sharing a meal—a date—with you was… pleasant.

We looked at each other and then took another bite.

My mouth was getting dry, so I took a sip of the apple juice spritzer.

The refreshing sweetness of the juice, and the fizzy bubbles, washed away the grease and salt, preparing me to face the… behemoth… that was this sandwich, a culinary challenge to table manners.

Leticia, also taking a sip of her drink, continued to devour her sandwich with an enthusiasm unbecoming of a lady.

I found even that adorable.

…Was I being conceited, thinking that she only showed this side of herself to me?

Well, I was her older sister, and we were the same sex, I reasoned.

Perhaps the reason she had invited me today was because she had heard about these mega-sandwiches from the mansion maids and was curious, but didn’t want to eat one in front of the [Capture Targets].

I certainly wouldn’t want to eat one in front of those three.

Konrad was out of the question. Louis would probably fuss over me, and while Felix wouldn’t care, that would be… complicated.

…I might even be embarrassed in front of Ciel.

While it seemed silly, since she had been with me since birth, I still didn’t want to disappoint her.

Since I had always assumed that if I ever married, it would be a political marriage, I hadn’t given much thought to… personal preferences in a partner.

But today, eating this mega-sandwich with my sister… I had a new aspiration.

I hoped my future partner would be someone I could share a sandwich like this with.

A ridiculously modest wish for the head of a ducal family.

But an impossible dream for someone walking the path of a villainous sister.

Even if I avoided the guillotine, a political marriage awaited me.

Since my parents seemed to get along, as far as I could tell as a child, I hadn’t been a proponent of marrying for love.

However, the existence of Leticia suggested that things hadn’t been as they appeared.

Currently, Leticia’s political value as a marriage partner was… questionable.

Perhaps… the potential to inherit the Vanderwaals title… but even that depended on the current head of the family’s approval.

However, she would eventually gain enough renown that everyone would want to marry her.

And her chosen partner would be someone like Prince Konrad, Knight Commander Felix, or Chief Physician Louis, someone who had already shown interest in her, someone she had built a relationship with.

Would those men walk through town with Leticia, escort her properly, and share a mega-sandwich with her?

“Ah, that was delicious! I’m stuffed!!”

Leticia, having finished her sandwich first, sighed contentedly.

She emptied her cup, leaned her elbows on the table, and looked at me intently.

I continued to eat my dwindling sandwich, wondering what she was thinking.

“…I’m so full… thank you for the meal…”

My sister murmured, a soft smile on her face.

She had already said that, and it was supposed to be her treat.