The Villainous Older Sister Who Loves Her Younger Sister Aims for the Guillotine 156

156: Additional Information

“…What do you mean?”

I didn’t understand my sister’s words—or rather, I didn’t want to.

I didn’t want to admit that she had seen through my facade, that she knew I cared for her, from the very beginning.

If it had been later, I could have still maintained some semblance of pride.

If it was sleep-talking, well, that couldn’t be helped. But this was the first act of the play; there was no way she could have known I loved her—especially not her herself.

“The bedding I was told to ‘dispose of’… there was nothing wrong with it. And the room was strangely warm. I investigated and realized the floor was warm. The knotholes here and there… they were unusually large… and new.”

Had she noticed?

I had thought my efforts to enlarge the knotholes with a drill, to provide some warmth, would go unnoticed.

“When I asked, everyone said the room below was the servants’ break room, and that in exchange for an increase in the servants’ budget, they were told to keep the fireplace lit. They even shared some of the snacks they bought with the extra money.”

“…………”

I averted my gaze, unable to bear it.

If she had been a truly ignorant girl from the “back alley,” I might have been able to deceive her.

But she knew ‘what kind of environment the protagonist was originally supposed to be in.’

If she had the sense to compare that with her current situation… it would be easy to deduce that my claims of disliking her were just words.

“And on the carriage ride back from Vandergant… when I took your hand… you squeezed it back…”

A hazy memory, one I had tried to suppress as unbecoming of a villainous sister, resurfaced.

So, it had been real.

It seemed that when I was sleepy, I was truly a terrible villainous sister.

“…But I didn’t have the courage… to ask you directly.”

My sister murmured softly.

I looked back at her, and she was looking down.

“…I was so afraid… what if you really hated me…?”

Words, once spoken, couldn’t be taken back.

My sister had always put on a brave face.

But almost every word I had spoken to her had been intended to hurt her, to make her hate me.

No one could endure that without being wounded.

No amount of regret would be enough—

“So, I decided that even if you hated me… I would at least try to avoid the guillotine… I tried my best to act like a close sister.”

“Wait, no. Hold on.”

The conversation had taken a turn.

“If you really hated me… what were you planning to do?”

“Nothing.”

She looked up and smiled… a small, weak smile.

“…Because I… like you.”

I had… suspected… that my sister ‘liked’ me.

But I had thought it was partof her role, as the ‘younger sister who still admired her older sister, despite the cruel treatment.’

In the end, her pleas for mercy would be in vain, and the older sister would meet her fate on the guillotine.

It was a story designed to preserve the protagonist’s kindness while still delivering a clear judgment on the villain.

But…

This sister of mine…

Did she truly harbor a different kind of ‘like’ for me, beyond sisterly or familial affection?

Just as I… had always loved this troublesome half-sister of mine…

That, too, was an internal conflict, an interpretation by the performer, not written in the script.

“Leti…cia…”

I forced the words out, my throat tight with emotion.

“I’m sorry. Thank you… I love you.”

That was all I could say.

I couldn’t even… reach out and take her hand.

Weak, cowardly, helpless…

But my sister reached out and took mine.

Her hand, a size smaller than mine, felt surprisingly large.

Our fingers intertwined, leaving no space between us.

“…I know. I know Elder Sister… loves me.”

My sister’s smile returned, brighter than before.

And just like that, happiness filled my chest.

However, Leticia continued, her tone mischievous,

“You taught me a lot last night.”

“…Um… maybe you could… forget about half of it…?”

My sister’s smile deepened.

“Impossible, Elder Sister.”

I didn’t think I could win.

…It was a relief that my sister and I were no longer in a relationship of winners and losers, superiors and inferiors. Fighting an unbeatable opponent was foolish.

While I didn’t know if fate was on my side…

…it seemed that fate’s script didn’t have the power to bend, force, or suppress human will.

Even if fate had guided me, I had aimed for the guillotine—and my sister had acted to prevent it.

And [Moonlight Liberium]… seemed to be over.

Still holding hands, I spoke.

“Hey, Leticia.”

“Yes, Elder Sister?”

“…If I’m chosen… what happens… ‘after the story ends’?”

Choosing Konrad was the most straightforward path; she would become the future queen.

If she chose Felix or Louis, she would inherit the Vanderwaals family after my death and become the head of the ducal house.

…And what about me?

We were half-sisters, both women… why was I a [Capture Target]?

“Um… the [Moonlight Liberium] Elder Sister knows…”

“The only route I knew… was the one where I was sent to the guillotine.”

I had thought it wouldn’t matter if I died.

I had intended to follow fate’s script, to fulfill my duty as the head of the family, to wish for my sister’s happiness, and then be executed.

But I was still the head of the family.

I had a duty to protect my sister.

…And I also had a personal desire… to be the one to protect her.

Leticia looked apologetic.

“I’m sorry, Elder Sister. For making you go through that crappy route.”

“…Well, a route where you fall in love with your half-sister is also… questionable…”

Leticia looked puzzled.

“What? Elder Sister’s route… is the most popular one.”

“…[Moonlight Liberium] is a [Romance Simulation Game], a game where you empathize with or project yourself onto the female protagonist and enjoy a romance with a male character, right?”

My understanding, pieced together from fragmented information, shouldn’t be that far off…

“Yes. But the romantic interests aren’t limited to male characters. Actually, female characters like maids and princesses from neighboring countries have been added as [Capture Targets]. The scenarios are individual, though; you can’t pursue multiple routes at once… Oh! And I’m only interested in Elder Sister, of course.”

“What?”

I frowned.

…Maids? Princesses from neighboring countries?

What was my sister talking about?

Aside from her declaration that she was ‘only interested in Elder Sister,’ I barely processed the rest.

…Added?

“Since Elder Sister’s route was the most popular, most of the additional characters and scenarios are female. As far as I know, there are more romances with girls than with boys.”

“What do you mean?”

“Would it make sense if I said… [Moonlight Liberium] is effectively recognized as a Yuri game?”

“No, I don’t really understand…?”

I didn’t quite understand what my sister was saying.

What did lilies have to do with it?

“Elder Sister, there are people in the world who enjoy romances between girls.”

“People with… peculiar tastes… Though it seems I was saved thanks to them…”

I briefly thought of the novel I was currently reading, ‘Lady Lord and Her Maid.’

It seemed I was one of them.

“By the way, why am I the most popular?”

“…Well, partly because my big sister is cute…”

Well, I wasn’t so sure about that.

Even so, the way she said ‘my’… warmed my heart.

“What would you think… if there was a character who was sent to the guillotine if you ended up with someone else… and that character, despite appearing mean, actually cared about you?”

“…Ah, I see. That would leave a terrible aftertaste.”

If you knew.

If you knew what was in the villain’s heart. If you knew the hidden emotions behind the cold, mean-spirited behavior, the almost childishly petty meanness—if you knew…

…What a fool I had been.

Some would laugh at the absurdity… and some wouldn’t.

“So, after the story ends…? What do you mean, ‘added’?”

“Oh, the [Main Scenario] does have a conclusion, of course. But for those who want more…”

I waited with bated breath for my sister’s next words.

“There’s an infinite amount of [DLC].”

“…DLC…? What? Infinite?”

I didn’t understand what my sister was saying.

How many times had I thought that, just between yesterday and today?