44: My Sister’s Recovery
Leticia was bedridden for two days.
On the first day, after her bath, I left her in the care of the maids, trying to appear as indifferent as possible.
On the second day, I stayed by her side, but Ciel took care of her bath.
As a ducal daughter, she shouldn’t be completely dependent on the servants.
However, a high-ranking servant in a ducal household was often more refined and trustworthy than a lesser noble. I was referring to Ciel, of course.
And today, on the third day…
Seeing Leticia at the breakfast table, it seemed her cold had completely subsided.
Perhaps due to her reduced food intake over the past few days, her cheeks were a little hollow, and she looked slightly thinner.
But her complexion had improved, and she no longer looked unwell. When our eyes met, she smiled.
“Hmph, you’ve finally recovered.”
I spoke as sarcastically as possible, as if I hadn’t noticed her smile.
Of course, inwardly, I was sighing with relief, “Thank goodness she’s better!”
Fate was on her side, but I knew that things didn’t always go according to plan.
Anything could have happened.
When a family member was ill, a lingering anxiety remained, no matter what I was doing.
It was the same with my mother.
Now, Leticia was my only remaining family.
Seeing my sister suffer was… difficult for me as her ‘big sister.’
Especially for me, the ‘villainous sister,’ who was far from being a good older sister.
Because I felt like I was to blame.
Because I felt like a despicable criminal, an accomplice to fate, tormenting my sister.
And because it was pathetic that, despite my position, I still felt hurt when criticized, revealing my soft heart.
“Thank you, Big Sis—”
“Call me ‘Elder Sister.’”
I corrected her sharply.
“Being ill is a sign of poor self-discipline.”
That was half-true, half-false.
Some illnesses were preventable.
If you weren’t living in hardship, getting sick was something to be ashamed of.
But everyone got sick sometimes.
Everyone had a different constitution—and different luck.
…And this time, it was a ‘cold’ ordained by fate.
It couldn’t be helped, even if everyone else blamed her, I wouldn’t.
“I expect you won’t make such an unsightly spectacle of yourself again.”
Even so, I had to say this.
I had to act this way.
“…Yes, Elder Sister.”
My sister sat down and bowed her head.
While it might seem obvious, choosing my words carefully was crucial, since, surprisingly, a relatively small portion of our conversations consisted of predetermined [Official Lines].
I was trying to emulate villains from novels and plays that would make the reader think, “Wow, what a jerk…!” and root for the protagonist, but I wasn’t sure if I was doing it right.
Lost in thought, I was reassured by the new maid’s exasperated murmur.
“Leaving her in that room in winter, without even a fireplace…”
I agreed.
Tell me more.
…However, even for a new maid, it wasn’t appropriate behavior towards her employer. I could overlook gossip among the servants as long as it didn’t spread too far, but voicing it within earshot was unacceptable.
“You there? —If you have something to say, say it clearly… and be prepared to stake your job on it.”
I smirked.
The new maid paled and fell silent.
She seemed to realize how careless her words had been.
Just as I was about to say something more villainous, Leticia stood up.
Was she going to defend me?
My sister was so kind.
The mean, current head of the family, disliked even by the servants, and the kind, future head of the family, beloved by the servants—it was a good contrast.
Ciel, who was fiercely loyal to me, wasn’t here, and these small moments were surely important.
I tried to appear as cold as possible, hiding my inner expectations from my sister.
Go on, Leticia!
“Elder Sister took care of me the whole time! Please don’t speak ill of her!”
Wait, Leticia.
You’re supposed to defend her.
The new maid, flustered, looked back and forth between my sister and me before retorting,
“B-but… My lady was bedridden for two days…”
Exactly.
I nodded inwardly, cheering on the new maid.
“When I caught a cold in the ‘back alley,’ I’d sometimes spend three days in bed with nothing but water! I recovered pretty quickly this time, actually.”
…I didn’t know what kind of life she had led in the “back alley.”
But the ability to recover from a cold in three days with only water, no medicine, and no nutritious food… was that normal?
Perhaps she had some kind of blessing from fate, but it seemed more like the resilience and recovery methods of a wild animal.
“In a room like that…”
“She contacted the Royal Palace and summoned the Chief Physician!”
Unable to find the right moment to interject, I watched the scene unfold, holding my breath.
The other maids did the same.
“She’s always so harsh to y—”
“Elder Sister is always thinking of me. She helped me change my clothes when I was sick, wiped my sweat, led me to the bath, washed my hair, dried me off, dissolved medicine in lukewarm water for me, and even cooled down my soup and fed it to me…”
“…Leticia.”
Something was wrong.
I had Ciel prescribe medicine that would also cloud her memories of the cold… it should have worked.
Why did she remember everything in such detail?
“Yes, Elder Sister.”
Inwardly, I felt like things were deviating significantly from the original plan, but I couldn’t bear to hear any more detailed accounts of my caregiving.
I had simply treated her the same way Ciel had treated me when I was sick as a child.
Thinking back, perhaps it had been a bit childish.
…I suddenly wondered how Ciel and my sister would treat me if I were to catch a cold now.
“That’s enough. Make sure I never have to do that again.”
“Yes, you mean take care of your health!”
So positive.
That was what I meant, actually.
…Would my meanness even have any effect on such a positive sister…?
Compared to the average noble lady, I thought I had led a hard life.
But compared to my sister, my hardships seemed insignificant; her mental fortitude was that strong.
…However, during our bath together, I realized that wasn’t the case.
Along with the small anecdotes from her time in the “back alley,” which only I knew, not the prince, the Knight Commander, or the Chief Physician…
I realized that she wasn’t some heroic figure with a heart of steel, impervious to pain, just because she was the [Protagonist].
And yet, this story demanded that of her.
A heart of steel to endure the torment. The spirit of a saint.
I, who wanted to protect her more than anyone, was her ‘enemy.’
My role was to embody the ugliness of aristocratic society.
As the ‘villainous sister,’ I was the ‘mean half-sister, a haughty young lady who doesn’t understand the kindness of others.’
But for now, the [Sickbed Event] had successfully concluded.
The first stage of her noble education was nearing completion, and [Free Action] would soon be [Unlocked].
In the game, this meant going to meet the Capture Targets, conversing with them, raising their favorability, and taking actions to trigger [Events].
In reality, it meant that my sister had been deemed to have mastered the basics of noble conduct, and her education, previously confined to the mansion, would now include interaction with other nobles.
Either way, my sister would be allowed far more freedom than before.
From now on, Leticia would decide her own course of action.
My opportunities to interact with her at the mansion would… decrease.
…Would I get enough Leticia time?
“Let’s eat. …Do you have any appetite?”
“Yes, I’m fine, Elder Sister. Let’s eat.”
I returned Leticia’s gaze as she watched me, imitating my table manners.
And then, Leticia…
My sister…
…smiled faintly, just enough to avoid breaking etiquette.
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