4. An Icy Bedroom
The day arrived to welcome my sister into my home.
I would deal with the noble status later.
First, I had to ensure her—the [Protagonist]’s—safety.
I had guards shadowing her, and I received their reports.
In the few days she was given, Leticia hurriedly said her goodbyes to her workplace—my sister worked as a maid in a bakery—and to her neighbors.
I didn’t know the extent of fate’s support, so I had to be doubly careful.
I didn’t know if she had guards in the game, but I couldn’t assume everything would go according to the scenario.
If, by any chance, an [Event]… a calamity that couldn’t be resolved without relying on fate… occurred—I would deal with it then.
However, by that time, my relationship with my sister would likely be strained.
As I was reading—or pretending to read—a book in the tearoom, one of the maids addressed me.
“Lady Adelheid. Ciel has returned with your sister.”
I deliberately didn’t respond until I finished the page.
Then, I placed a bookmark and slowly rose.
“I understand. Proceed as instructed.”
“……Yes.”
The fact that she—Leticia—is my half-sister, and my ‘instructions’ regarding my blood relative, were already common knowledge.
My relationship with the servants, excluding Ciel, was neither good nor bad. I prided myself on providing a decent working environment for a noble household, so my reputation probably wasn’t that bad.
But from now on, the servants would likely dislike me.
――I eagerly went to greet Leticia as she arrived at the mansion, escorted by Ciel.
However, I used the [Official Lines].
“[Is that all your luggage?]”
“[Yes.]”
Her luggage consisted of a single shabby trunk.
…That was all she needed.
“[Throw it all away later.]”
“[Eh…? ]”
My sister’s eyes widened.
Without pausing, I continued.
“[Such ratty attire is unbefitting of the Vanderwaals family.]”
Even I sighed inwardly, thinking, “There’s a way to say things, you know.”
I couldn’t tolerate my own flesh and blood sister wearing such shabby clothes.
…The ‘me in the game’… perhaps she was genuinely a mean-spirited young lady who would say such things.
If Ciel had educated her, she wouldn’t be like this… would she?
At least, Ciel’s name doesn’t appear in the scenario. I was even afraid that having her present when meeting my sister might alter the scenario.
Perhaps Ciel doesn’t even exist in [Moonlight Liberium].
I ignored the accusing glances from the other maids.
Ciel alone was enough as my ally.
Besides, I had the backing of fate.
“[…Yes.]”
My sister reacted as she did in the game.
She looked down, as if wanting to say something, but she held back and didn’t express it outwardly.
I replayed the [Text Log] in my mind. If I recall correctly, my sister’s inner thoughts were like this:
――[I looked down. They might be tattered clothes to a noble, but to me, they are precious. They are treasures filled with the kindness of the people of the “back alley.”]
…I felt a pang of guilt, thinking, “I’m sorry for being such a useless older sister.”
Incidentally, the sister in the game was resourceful enough to collude with the maids, pretend to throw everything away, and hide the trunk in a corner of the storage room.
If my real sister did the same, I would, of course, pretend not to notice.
Accompanied by a single maid—a plump, elderly woman with red hair, not Ciel—I led my sister to her room.
Through the marble entrance hall, a display of aristocratic power, down the carpeted hallway… by the time we reached the attic, the flooring had changed to worn wooden planks.
This was the custom throughout the Kingdom of Eustasia—’practicality.’
It was practical to decorate the entrance hall to showcase the power of a noble family.
Similarly, it was practical to maintain the areas used regularly to a certain degree.
However, it was not practical to decorate a storage room.
“[This room… is… ]”
My sister was speechless at the lack of aristocratic luxury in the room.
I spoke, taking care to sound as sarcastic as possible.
“[It suits someone raised in the “back alley,” doesn’t it? …Do you have any complaints?]”
“[No, Elder Sister]. …Just being under the same roof as you makes me happy.”
My sister’s shy demeanor… For a moment, I considered defying fate.
Hugging her, apologizing, giving her my room—no, maybe even sleeping in the same bed like close sisters—
………………Wait. Reason. Do your job.
I almost got lost in my daydreams. Dangerous.
…Speaking of which, was there such a line?
I replayed the game’s text log in my mind… hmm?
Indeed, her only line was [“No, Elder Sister”]….
――It seems there are some differences from the game.
“Ask the maid about the rest. I will fulfill my noble obligations, but I am busy.”
I turned on my heel.
My sister called out to my back.
“Ah, Elder Sister… Thank you very much!”
A pang of pain shot through my chest.
That line wasn’t in the game.
I’ve also spoken several lines that weren’t in the game.
Being insulted would have been better.
“…Oh, well. It’s no use saying such things to her. She doesn’t have any human emotions.”
As I descended to the first floor, I overheard the elderly maid’s words of comfort.
Don’t underestimate the Vanderwaals’ sharp hearing.
――Doesn’t have any human emotions, huh?
Back in my room, I closed the door and leaned against it.
I pulled out the pocket watch, usually only its silver chain visible, from the breast pocket of my dark blue jacket and flipped it open.
The three hands ticked, and the gears moved busily.
If only.
If only I didn’t have any human emotions.
If only my heart were a clockwork mechanism like this pocket watch.
…If only that were the case.
Entering the assigned attic room, she—Leticia—looked around appraisingly… and her eyes fell on the old bed.
“The bedding… wow, it’s so luxurious…?”
As she approached and touched it, she felt the smooth texture and sinking softness. Even she, unfamiliar with luxury goods, could tell it was top-quality.
“Oh, the bedding in the guest room just happened to get old, so we were ordered to dispose of it. I snatched it. Don’t worry, they won’t notice. We were told we could do whatever we wanted with it. Even though there’s nothing wrong with it.”
“‘Just happened’…?”
“That’s right. Oh, and also, if anything happens… no, even if nothing happens, come to us. This is the maids’ break room downstairs, and there’s always someone here. We can offer you some sweets and tea, and there’s a fireplace. Come warm up before you go to bed. …Your sister is like that, and nobles’ meanness is insidious. But… hang in there. Don’t give up.”
“…Yes.”
A thick, warm hand rested on her shoulder.
After the maid left, as she unpacked her meager belongings alone… that warmth seemed to fill her chest.
――Or so she thought, but regardless of that.
Yes, even though the room had no fireplace.
“…It feels… warm… somehow?”
She stopped unpacking and looked around, but there was no fireplace, nor any other apparent heat source.
No one without godlike observation skills would notice the change in the room.
The day before, the head of the family herself, avoiding conspicuous areas and taking the utmost care not to compromise the floor’s durability, had enlarged the knotholes in the floorboards with a drill, allowing the heat from the fireplace below to rise through.
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