TVB 07

“Villainess Goes Out to Eat”

…It was night.

I was the one who woke up first, so I gently shook Yua’s small shoulder.

“Yua, it’s time to wake up.”

“Mmyaa… nnnh…”

A soft, almost kitten-like sound slipped from her slightly trembling lips.

“Fufu…” A smile escaped me before I could stop it.

I shook her shoulder again—this time a little firmer.

Her eyelids slowly fluttered open.

“Lady Vina… good morning…”

She rubbed her eyes with both hands, utterly unguarded—like a child—and let out a long stretch. Her beautiful silver hair spilled down her shoulders in a smooth cascade.

“It’s not exactly morning anymore. It’s already eight in the evening.”

“Ehh… wha—!? I-I’m sorry! I’ll prepare dinner right away—”

I raised a hand to stop her.

“It’s fine. Let’s eat out today.”

“…Right.”

Yua stood up, and I followed.

“Is that place from last time okay?”

“Yes.”

“The last place” referred to the dining area inside the monster subjugation request office. The place we had visited on our first day in this city.

After receiving her answer, I went to the dressing table and fixed my appearance. In the mirror, I gathered my slightly bluish black hair into a single tie at the back, then turned to Yua.

I ran a comb through her silken silver hair, letting it flow smoothly between my fingers.

“What hairstyle do you want today?”

“Whatever Lady Vina prefers…”

“I see. Understood.”

Just like I used to do for my younger sister, I began weaving Yua’s hair into a single braid.

“Fufu… there. Done.”

“…Lady Vina. This is the same hairstyle as Rena’s, isn’t it?”

Yua pouted slightly.

“So this means… Lady Vina, you’re actually a siscon…?”

“That’s not it at all. I don’t dislike it, but that’s all.”

I denied it and lightly patted her head.

“Now then, let’s go.”

“…Yes.”

Still a little reluctant, Yua nodded.

We stepped outside together.

A cold wind brushed across my skin, sharp and biting. This town was surrounded by mountains, so even in summer, the nights were cold. That was also why it was often used as a resort.

“Tch… nights really are cold. Maybe I should’ve grabbed a coat.”

“I’m fine like this.”

Yua said that—and then suddenly latched onto my arm.

“Yua, that’s improper behavior.”

“We’re both girls, so it’s fine.”

That’s not the point…

But I let it go.

I allowed her to cling to me as we walked into the old building we were heading for. This was the Monster Subjugation Request Office.

As the name suggested, it was a place where people accepted requests to eliminate monsters that threatened public safety. Anyone with skill could register regardless of status, so I had registered a week ago. Since then, we had been earning our living through requests.

When I first arrived, they were suspicious of me—understandably, since I was just a young girl claiming she could fight monsters. But the moment I revealed my magic power, I surpassed everyone there… and quickly rose to the top of the rankings.

Thanks to that, we had no trouble making a living.

“Excuse me.”

I gave a small bow and entered.

Inside, the building was divided into three sections: the reception desk, the request board, and the dining area.

We headed straight for the dining space.

“Yo, girls!”

A burly man called out loudly, clearly tipsy.

“You took that boar monster request, right? How’d it go? That thing’s fast and nasty—I can give you a hand if you need!”

We had never spoken before. He was a stranger, and yet acted like we were old friends.

Probably drunk.

“It’s already finished. I’ll submit the report later.”

“Ohhh, is that so? As expected of our princess.”

Yua’s shoulders jolted.

Her grip on my arm tightened.

That word—princess—must have triggered something in her.

“…It’s fine. They don’t know your identity.”

I whispered into her ear.

She relaxed slightly.

Then someone else called out.

“Man, you two really are close. I wish I had a brother like that.”

Another stranger.

“Right? And they’re both cute too.”

“Yeah, yeah. Hey, how about drinking with us?”

“Nice idea. I wanna drink with Vina-chan too.”

“I wanna talk girl stuff with Yua-chan!”

“Oi, old lady, you’re way past ‘girl’ age.”

“What was that? I’ll kill you, you brat.”

The chatter escalated instantly.

These drunkards…

It was exhausting to deal with them.

So I ignored them and led Yua to an empty two-person table.

Even after being ignored, they kept going cheerfully.

“Ahh, we got rejected.”

“Serves you right, with that scary face of yours.”

“What did you say?”

“Hahaha, nice, nice!”

“See? I told you not to call her old lady again.”

“S-sorry…”

It was noisy.

Too noisy.

And yet… strangely, the unpleasant racket felt a little comforting to me.

“Excuse me. May I place an order?”

“Yes! Be right there!”

I called a staff member over and, once she arrived, placed our order.

“I’ll have the pan-fried ‘Hundred-Leg Spider’, the beef-bird carpaccio, and two drink bars.”

“Eh… th-the hundred-leg spider…?”

The waitress stared at me like she couldn’t believe what she just heard.

“…Is there a problem?”

I looked back at her.

She flinched—as if she thought I was pressuring her.

“I-I’m sorry! Y-yes! One hundred-leg spider pan-fry, beef-bird carpaccio, and two drink bars—correct?”

“Yes. Thank you.”

“R-right away!”

She hurried off toward the kitchen.

Watching her go, Yua gave a small, wry smile.

“Lady Vina… you really do like strange foods, don’t you?”

“I don’t particularly like them.”

Yua tilted her head.

“Then why? Every time we eat out, you always order things like that.”

“Just curiosity. I simply wonder what they taste like.”

“Ah… I see. I kind of understand that! Unknown things are tempting.”

“Indeed.”

I nodded.

“Oh, right. Do you want to try some of mine too?”

I offered her the hundred-leg spider dish.

With a bright, radiant smile, she replied immediately:

“No thank you.”

…Rejected.

Pity.