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

54: A Tea Party with Meat

After I finished the meat on the small plate, Leticia, noticing my gaze, looked downcast.

“…Oh, I ate it all by myself… I’m sorry.”

“No, it’s…”

Leticia took my arm and tugged gently.

“Let’s go, Elder Sister.”

“Wait, Leticia.”

“Sir Felix, Your Highness, there’s still more meat, right?”

“Oh, plenty more.”

“We prepared a sufficient amount.”

The two men nodded in unison.

“See? Let’s get some more.”

I didn’t know what to say anymore.

…Well, normally, there was nothing wrong with guests enjoying the food provided by the host.

The problem was that Konrad should have prepared a more standard selection.

I glared at Konrad, the source of the problem, with even more intensity than before, and he averted his gaze.

“…Yes, let’s have some more. Now stop pulling.”

“Okay!”

I glanced back at the two men, and they followed us, exchanging glances.

They were after Leticia, naturally.

As we approached the table laden with meat, the knights quickly and efficiently piled meat onto their plates and dispersed.

Their risk management skills were impressive.

Now that they were gone, I noticed an iron griddle set up with hot coals.

I had assumed all the food, like the roast beef I had just eaten, was pre-prepared, but it seemed they had a chef grilling steaks on the spot.

Why go to such lengths?

What did this prince think a tea party was?

…However, this area, which was undoubtedly meant to impress my sister and keep the Knights—and their potentially rivalrous Commander—occupied and away from Leticia, seemed to have captured her heart.

In that sense, I suppose the reception was a success.

My sister, clearly tempted by the steaks grilling on the iron griddle, hesitated, glancing at me to gauge my reaction.

I felt a sense of accomplishment at the effects of her noble education.

It was important to constantly ask oneself, ‘Is this behavior befitting a noble?’

…But Leticia, glancing longingly at the griddle, was so cute.

“…Could you grill two steaks for us, please?”

Before I knew it, I had addressed the elderly male chef.

“Certainly. How would you like them cooked?”

I glanced at Leticia.

My sister looked at me, seeking guidance.

“Leticia, how do you like yours?”

“Um… the roast beef was tender and delicious, so… could I have it like that…?”

Hmm.

I turned back to the chef.

“Rare for her. Well-done for me.”

“Certainly.”

The chef bowed and began grilling the steaks with practiced ease.

I was wearing the gecko crest on my chest, so he should know who I was, but his composure was admirable.

Leticia’s steak was finished quickly, while mine took a little longer.

Once it was done, he sliced it into bite-sized pieces—exactly the size I would have chosen.

“Here you go.”

His plating was also aesthetically pleasing.

I chewed slowly and deliberately, partly to savor the taste, partly to check for poison. Strong poisons often had a peculiar taste.

While there was little chance of being poisoned at the Royal Castle, it was a habit.

“Elder Sister, do you prefer your meat well-done?”

“Yes… well… it’s simply safer that way.”

What a boring person I was.

Unable to even choose how I liked my steak cooked based on personal preference.

“Oh, I understand!”

I turned to my sister at her cheerful exclamation, and she was beaming.

Agreeing with someone’s opinion made you feel closer to them.

My sister wasn’t the type to use such petty techniques…

“Even if the meat isn’t completely fresh, as long as it’s cooked thoroughly, it’s fine!”

I felt the distance between us widen.

As I smiled vaguely, unable to respond, Leticia asked,

“May I have a bite?”

“Go ahead.”

I pretended not to notice her expectant gaze.

I couldn’t bring myself to feed her.

That would be frowned upon, as a noble.

While I personally wasn’t opposed to the idea… that was something lovers did.

Leticia chewed and swallowed a piece from my plate, then smiled.

“So this is how Elder Sister likes her steak. I’m happy I know your preference now.”

I was starting to think I liked well-done meat.

Something I had chosen out of necessity, out of practicality—when I was with Leticia, it felt like something I had chosen because I liked it.

Then, someone addressed me from behind.

“Excuse me, Lady Adelheid von Vanderwaals…”

An unfamiliar voice, using my full name.

I put on my ‘first meeting’ smile and turned around.

A young lady with lovely golden curls… a count’s daughter… if I remembered correctly.

If my memory served me right, she was fourteen and had just made her social debut this winter. She was accompanied by a group of other young ladies, whether they were her entourage or friends, I didn’t know.

It was customary to debut two or three years before coming of age at sixteen, depending on the progress of one’s noble education.

I nostalgically recalled the approaches from those of the same sex and age who had wanted to get close to me when I made my social debut.

Now, I only exchanged minimal greetings, as befitting the head of the family.

“Yes?”

The young lady, still somewhat fresh-faced, perhaps due to her recent debut, spoke with a determined air.

“Um…! Is it… appropriate for a noble lady to have steak grilled at a tea party…?”

I thought she was being sarcastic.

If she was looking for a fight, I was prepared to teach her the harsh realities of noble society, enough to discourage her from ever trying again.

But that didn’t seem to be the case.

Ah, I see… I realized.

I gave the trembling young lady, likely nervous, my ‘public’ smile.

“There’s no need to hesitate. It’s what the host has provided. While it’s an unusual arrangement, it was apparently at the First Prince’s behest. My sister and I partook as well.”

I subtly shifted the responsibility for any potential issues to Prince Konrad, while also giving her the reassurance she was likely seeking.

“Oh… thank you very much!”

She curtsied gracefully, thanked me, and rejoined her group of friends.

Then, I watched with amusement as they chattered excitedly amongst themselves: “Lady Adelheid said it was okay!” “Really?!” “I’ve never had food grilled in front of me like this before.” “Haven’t we all?” “But steak at a tea party?” “It feels like we’re doing something wrong.”

I wondered if I had ever been like that… no, I didn’t think so… I stared blankly into the distance.

She must have been anxious, wondering if it was some kind of trap, this unusual situation of having a full-fledged meat station at a tea party, a blind spot in her noble lady etiquette training.

――It happened sometimes. Hosts would deliberately serve difficult-to-eat food or, after careful research, serve dishes their guests disliked.

I had once slammed my dinner knife on the table and stormed out.

I was probably about the same age as those young ladies.

My mother, who was frail and had some dietary restrictions, had accompanied me to a dinner party, and when I politely pointed out her restrictions, the host had made a sarcastic remark.

I wasn’t mature enough to tolerate being insulted by someone of lower rank, and, more importantly, I couldn’t forgive the insult to my mother.

However, I did wonder if my reaction had been appropriate.

The dynamics of noble society were complex. I was anxious about whether I had done the right thing, storming out like that, driven by emotion.

I remembered my father saying, “Well done.”

After that, our family’s territory expanded slightly.

It was a family memory, one I recalled whenever I saw the name of that place in the territory’s financial reports.

As the young ladies lined up in front of the elderly chef, whispers started—and then stopped instantly when they met my gaze.

I had finally acquired enough power to crush most problems with a flick of my little finger.

Of course, Ciel had taught me how to use that ‘power’ and the responsibility that came with it.

While I didn’t intend to use it frivolously, Ciel would surely forgive me for glaring at those even more frivolous individuals who were trying to find fault with the still-naive young ladies.

If anything happened, it would be Prince Konrad and Knight Commander Felix’s fault.