My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom!, Volume 3

by Satoru Yamaguchi

  Although I continued to suppress my desire to skip and hum tunes, I ended up noticeably fidgeting instead, and I could hardly contain the excitement in my voice. The group of girls near me noticed, and upon seeing this, one of them kindly asked, “Lady Katarina, are you perhaps unwell?”

  “Ah, not at all! It’s nothing! In fact, I’m just fidgeting from excitement!” I responded honestly. The girls smiled in response, agreeing with what I had said.

  My classmates are all gentle and kind. Under normal circumstances, I would have followed around the members of the student council. But today, they were all assigned to specific spots on the grounds, and couldn’t simply drop their duties. So I found myself exploring the festival with my other friends and classmates.

  Many of my friends on the council had seemed sad at this turn of events, saying things like:

  “To think that I would be unable to accompany you during the festival...”

  “If I had known, I would never have taken on this role...”

  “Ah, my chance to be with Lady Katarina during the one festival in our time...”

  In an effort to cheer up my ailing friends, I had decided to buy some foods from here and there, and visit each of them in turn. Although they were sad that they couldn’t spend the one festival we would share during our time at the academy with me, they would be sure to cheer up once I brought them some delicious food!

  All right! Takoyaki, yakisoba, okonomiyaki... here I come! I thought, as I rushed towards the student stands. Unfortunately...

  Th-This is... the stands at the festival are...! I stood there, alone, saddened at the misunderstanding that I had made. This was not what I’d expected from a festival stand at all...

  If it’s a festival stand, it should be somewhat janky, and standing behind it should be either an old man with greasy clothing or a yankee-like young man going “Hey. Wanna buy some?” or something like that...

  At least, that was what I thought! Instead, I was faced with a beautifully-constructed, chic building. Standing inside it was a uniformed young man, formally greeting me for visiting his humble establishment. THESE are the festival stands at the academy? Even if this IS the Academy of Magic... I can’t accept this, I simply can’t!

  However, the biggest shock was yet to come... These “festival stands” were only selling sandwiches and croissants! Yes, these were the only foods on sale at this so-called “school festival” at the Academy of Magic. Chic and fancy as they may be, sandwiches and croissants were hardly satisfying.

  No matter how hard I looked, I could not find any okonomiyaki, yakisoba, or takoyaki. In fact, all these stands sold more or less the same thing — the sort of simple pastries, hors d’oeuvres, or haute cuisine that nobles would have at their tea-parties...

  I’d already planned for this stomach of mine to be filled with okonomiyaki... takoyaki... yakisoba. I had planned for this! My dessert was going to be a chocolate banana! And cotton candy! And yet... and yet! In almost an instant, my excitement and good spirits had completely disappeared. I was a husk of my former self.

  The classmates who were with me were visibly alarmed.

  “L-Lady Katarina! Are you quite all right?”

  “Whatever has happened? You were so cheerful up until a moment ago!”

  “Does your stomach hurt, Lady Katarina?”

  “No, perhaps she is hungry? I shall purchase something for her...”

  I had left my stomach empty on purpose, hoping to allow for the joys of my previous life to fill me up. I had been anticipating this meal... and yet, now I was unable to eat it! I was filled with a deep sense of loss.

  “Haa... haa...” my classmate panted as she returned. “L-Lady Katarina. I h-have... brought you something to eat. Please, have some of this, I pray that you will be in good spirits again soon...” She presented me with what appeared to be a sandwich on a most elaborate and beautiful plate.

  My classmates have apparently assumed that I was saddened because I hadn’t had enough to eat. ...Eh? What exactly do they see me as, then...?

  I had honestly already lost my appetite, having realized that I was unable to have my favorite okonomiyaki and yakisoba. However, my kind classmate had gone through the trouble of fetching this sandwich for me. With a simple “thank you,” I brought the sandwich to my mouth.

  And then... This...! THIS TASTE! “Wh-What is this?! This is completely different from the sandwiches I usually have! What is this fluffiness, this softness of the bread? This incredibly delicious jam? Tell me at once! Where exactly is this bread from?!”

  I was surprised — no, overwhelmed — by the delicious force of the sandwich in my mouth. Before I could restrain myself, my face was already uncomfortably close to that of my kind classmate’s, my nostrils flaring in excitement. My classmates collectively withdrew, before answering stutteringly.

  “...Y-Yes. Of course, Lady Katarina... The school festival of the Academy of Magic is quite the significant affair. It usually attracts stands from various famous shops and establishments across the land, who send samples of their newest work to the festival to be sold. As such, the food here is usually most delicious... in fact, there are some who call it the ‘Festival of Gourmet Food.’ I have heard that there were many people who show up at the festival just to have a taste of this particular store’s products...”

  What?! How could this be! I never knew that the festival stands could be this... impressive, this incredible...! While it was unfortunate that my favorite okonomiyaki and other festival foods were not present, now that I had a closer look... the offerings of these festival stands did seem delicious.

  And then there was the matter of famous shops and establishments selling their newest products at the festival... This is a rare opportunity. I cannot miss this. With those thoughts in mind, I could hardly continue to feel sad. I have to eat! Eat! EAT! EAT ALL OF IT!

  “All right! Everyone, let’s go! We shall tour the stands from this starting point here!” With my loud declaration, I led my classmates on, eager to start my gourmet crusade.

  They all merely smiled and said things like, “It was as I thought... Lady Katarina was simply hungry,” and “I am glad that she’s cheered up once more.” Now that the tension and anticipation was back in my bones, I needed to only do one thing — tour and chomp down on the offerings of any stand that caught my eye. I would eagerly stuff myself.

  Ah, this bread... this sandwich. It was simply too delicious. Oh...? What about this potato salad here...? Equally delectable, I must say...

  “...Um, Lady Katarina.”

  Ooooh! I have never seen anything quite like that dessert over there. It must be a new product...! I simply have to taste it.

  “...Lady Katarina.”

  Ah, what about this cake over here? It seems quite tasty as well. Or that pudding there...

  “Excuse me, Lady Katarina!”

  “Eh, ah, yes. Sorry. Did you need something?”

  How dangerous... that was close. My attention had been completely commandeered by the offerings of the festival stands.

  “...Um, well. Did you not have plans to meet with each member of the student council today, Lady Katarina...?”

  “Oh, yes. That’s right.”

  “If you still do intend to make your rounds, Lady Katarina, we really do need to be going soon... for fear of you running out of time, you see...” my classmate warned, her brows furrowed with worry.

  “Eh...?!” I confirmed the time in a panic, only to realize that I’d already spent a lot of time at the festival food stands. “Wh-What! How could it be this time already?”

  I had been completely charmed by the allure of these delicious foods. If my classmates hadn’t warned me, I probably would have stayed here and continued to eat until the festival itself ended. That was close... the allure of delicious food is a terrifying thing indeed.

  Finally back to my senses, I went and purchased a large amount of food and gifts for my friends on the council, as well as an equally l
arge amount for my personal consumption. Then, with the classmates who had brought me back to my senses, we rushed off to where the student council members were stationed.

  First, we headed for the person who was closest to where we were. We found ourselves in an exhibition space showcasing the history of the kingdom, as well as research on various magical theories. In my previous life, hardly anyone would be found at such an academic exhibition space. This, however, was the Academy of Magic, and there were a fair number of students and their parents eagerly looking at the exhibits.

  I found their never-ending thirst for knowledge very commendable... although I would surely fall asleep after reading a few lines. Standing at this exhibition were my adopted brother and a friend of mine — both of them smiling and greeting attendees and guests.

  My adopted brother, Keith Claes, and my friend Mary Hunt, daughter of Marquess Hunt, were both hard at work. Like me, Mary was also the fiancée to a crown prince. To be precise, she was the fiancée of Prince Alan Stuart, who was the twin brother of Prince Jeord Stuart. Although we were both engaged to crown princes and hence were of similar social standing, unlike me, Mary was a very capable and high-spec individual.

  Mary’s hair was a deep shade of burnt sienna, and her eyes were the same color. She did very well in school, but was also said to have the grace of a fairy when it came to dancing. If anything, she was the very image of what a noble lady should aspire to be — she was a wonderful and refined young lady indeed.

  Many noble ladies looked up to the royal princes, of course, and while they would often criticize me for being “unable to match Prince Jeord at all,” they had nothing but praise for Mary, often saying that she was “most suitable for Prince Alan.”

  That very same perfect noble lady, however, now seemed a little tired from the sheer number of visitors she had been greeting... maybe even a little out of it? Perhaps she was hungry? It was, after all, already past noon. Judging by the look of things, it wouldn’t be surprising if she hadn’t had a chance to have lunch.

  The more I thought about Mary’s circumstances, the more I felt guilty for standing outside at the stands, eating as much as I could. All right, then! I’ll hand over one of the special sandwiches that I purchased for my own consumption. A new recipe, from what I had heard.

  With those thoughts in mind, I held the bag of sandwiches in my hands, calling out to Mary as I approached. “Mary! I brought something for you.”

  “Lady Katarina!” Mary gave me a vibrant smile upon noticing my approach — it was almost like her tired expression earlier had been a lie.

  As I expected, she was hungry. “I’m sorry for coming so late, Mary! Here, try this... This sandwich is a new recipe, from what I’ve heard!”

  “I am delighted that you have decided to come by, Lady Katarina. I was worried... since you hadn’t returned from the stands after quite some time...”

  “Ah... yes. Sorry about that.” In truth, we had passed by this space on our way to the stands, and had met with Mary before. I had told her that we were simply “going to have a look at the offerings”... and ended up taking quite a while. Of course Mary would be worried. My heartfelt apologies, Mary!

  “Big Sister... if I had to guess, you simply lost track of time, sampling one new dish or another, no?” Keith said, sighing as he did so.

  As expected of my dear brother. I now see that our family bond of more than eight years has gifted him with incredible insight. At the very least, Keith seemed to know a lot about his adoptive sister.

  “...I’m sorry.” I bowed my head once more to the worried Mary and Keith.

  “Think nothing of it, Lady Katarina. I am only glad that you are safe.” Mary said, smiling gently.

  Keith, however... “Really, Big Sister. Are you not being a little too careless? You do have a penchant for getting into trouble. Please be aware of that... and be more careful,” he said with a strict look about him.

  For some reason, it seemed like Keith was taking after Mother more and more as the years went by. If this went on, there would eventually come a day where he would spend hours lecturing me, just as Mother would... Two mothers... would I be able to endure such a thing?

  “Lady Katarina, the crowds are thinning as we speak. We were just thinking of having a short rest soon, perhaps, and maybe having something to eat. I am most grateful for the food you have brought us. Would you like to eat together with us?” Mary, as if making a complete recovery, was now looking out for me instead.

  “R-Really?!” In truth, I did feel a bit of regret for handing out that limited, new-recipe sandwich. If possible I would have liked a taste too.

  “Big Sister... have you not already had quite a lot to eat? You wish to eat some more?” Keith inquired, looking at me with an exasperated expression. The classmates who had followed me to the stands seemed equally surprised.

  As I’d feared... if I continue to gorge myself like this, everyone will think I am a terrible glutton. But that’s not true! I’m normal! It’s just that noble ladies eat too little.

  And then there’s the fact that these dresses are far too tight... perhaps they are bound by these dresses, and can’t eat as much as they want to. I had asked for a dress of mine to be loosened, all for the sake of gorging myself at the stands today.

  My maid Anne wasn’t too thrilled about the prospect, and had protested vehemently. “Young miss, why would you want to loosen such a spectacular dress...?” she said. However, I had threatened to show up in my farming overalls if it was not done, and she eventually gave in to my request.

  This is why I was able to eat more than my classmates and friends! I am most definitely not a glutton!

  However... I suppose I should only have a little bit. “...Yes, Mary. Just a little,” I added to my previous outburst.

  And so, Mary, Keith, and I ended up sitting at a resting space at the venue, where tea was served and sandwiches eaten. I had asked the classmates with me to join us for tea, but they had politely declined. “We are already quite full, Lady Katarina. We shall go have a look at the exhibits instead.”

  Do you not understand, my dear classmates? All you have to do is to loosen your dresses!

  “Wow... it does look delicious!” The sandwich was quite different from the ones I had before — it was a new recipe too.

  “Why yes, it does look most appetizing indeed. Thank you very much, Lady Katarina.” Mary said, smiling faintly at me as I started drooling at the sight of the sandwich.

  “Big Sister... did you not already have quite a lot to eat? Please eat in moderation lest you get a stomach ache,” Keith said. He really did understand his sister...

  “...Yes, I understand.” But I already loosened my dress in advance! There should be no problems! With that in mind, I reached for a piece of the sandwich and placed it into my mouth.

  Ah... yes. Delicious. The first store’s sandwich was more of a snack food, with the jam at its center being the main feature. This particular sandwich, however, was filled with fresh lettuce and crispy, fried bacon. If anything, it felt more like a main course. There were so many different kinds of sandwiches!

  Ah... that one over there with the potato salad in it looks good too. And then there’s this one here, with bits of egg in its center...

  Hmm. I was at a loss — I wanted to sample all the sandwiches on offer! Oh, I know! “Hey, Keith... could I split the sandwiches with you? I’ll have half.”

  “...Sure. I thought you might say that, Big Sister.”

  “Hooray!”

  Although the portion sizes of food in this world were relatively small, there was quite a large variety available. I suppose it was more of a cultural feature amongst nobles, as opposed to the rest of the world at large — but even so, there really was an impressive variety of foods.

  I always wanted to eat whatever was rare or caught my attention. In my previous life, my mother had taught me to leave my plates clean — and even my chopsticks, too. Her teachings remained alive and well in my
heart to this day.

  As a result of this, however, I had often ended up getting stomach aches in my childhood, simply because I had too much to eat. Keith, upon seeing this, would always say: “If you would like to try a bit of everything, Big Sister, how about you split half of it with me? I will finish the other half for you.”

  While I couldn’t exactly do it openly in a public space, I had often sneakily split my meals in half back at the Claes Manor. Keith finished the rest, of course. Since Keith said he was fine with it, I took the potato salad sandwich in my hands, splitting it into two equal halves to the best of my ability. I held out one half to Keith’s lips. “Here you go, Keith! Try some.”

  Under normal circumstances, Keith would usually eat anything I offered him without a second thought. Today, however, his expression was strangely ambivalent — and also frozen. I wondered if something was wrong.

  “Is something the matter, Keith?”

  “A-Ah... well. Big Sister... Could we perhaps not do this in public, and in full view of others?”

  “Others? But this isn’t really a public venue? Didn’t you just say it was fine just moments ago?”

  “Well... I didn’t mean it in this particular way... that...”

  Hmm. Keith is acting suspiciously.

  “Hmm? So the two of you always do this, as long as you are not in a public space...?” For some reason, Mary had the most dazzling smile on her face as she posed her question.

  “Ah, right. When I have something that I wish to taste, but cannot finish it all, I often split half of it, and give it to Keith.”

  “Is that right? And so, Lady Katarina... do you mean to say that this half portion is always fed to Master Keith’s lips... with your hands?”

  “Of course. It wasn’t like that at first, but Keith requested that he be fed in this particular way when it came to splitting food a while ago, and so now I always do.”

  It was exactly so. Although we had split food for as long as I could remember, Keith had requested that I feed him the split half by hand a while ago. I wonder why he made such a request? Is it because it’s troublesome, having to reach for the portion himself? I didn’t quite understand his reasons — if anything, this was quite the social faux pas when it came to dining etiquette, especially so for Keith.