The Protagonist's Party is Too Diligent

Still, Charlotte maintained her composure and allowed me to finish my explanation, no matter how absurd it might have sounded.

"So," she began, her tone calm as she carefully unraveled my series of excuses, "you were just out for a walk to get some fresh air on your day off when you happened to notice Leo sitting alone over there?"

"That’s correct," I nodded. Charlotte mirrored my seriousness, nodding as she continued.

"And then, by sheer coincidence, a gust of wind allowed you to spot Sophia observing Leo from afar?"

"Exactly," I confirmed, and once again, we both nodded in agreement.

"And instead of trying to figure out the situation, you immediately went back to your room, grabbed an urban-camouflage cloak, a sniper scope, a field mat, a canteen, and emergency rations, then climbed onto the rooftop to start watching them?"

"..."

When she put it like that...

No matter how I explained it, there was no way it wouldn’t sound suspicious.

I only brought the cloak because the weather had genuinely gotten colder. Yes, it was an urban-camouflage cloak, but that was simply because it was practical for retaining body heat and functionality. It wasn’t a military operation, but staying unnoticed was better, wasn’t it?

The mat? Same logic—it’s freezing to lie on concrete in this weather. For basic comfort and warmth, it was a necessity. And, of course, the sturdiest option happened to be a field mat.

As for the canteen and emergency rations... well, what if I got hungry and left my spot, only for them to disappear while I was gone?

"Sylvia," Charlotte said, pressing her fingers to her temple, looking as if she were holding back a headache. "I know you’re not the best at expressing emotions, but..."

No.

"No matter how bad you are at it, it’s still not okay to spy on someone you like this way. People have their privacy, you know."

"It’s not like that," I replied, my expression serious—as usual, my face was always serious—but Charlotte didn’t seem convinced in the slightest.

"And if you’re so worried, why not just approach him and ask him out on a date? Times have changed, you know. The idea that men have to ask women out is outdated. Sure, being a princess complicates things, but going to a ball with a partner isn’t going to ruin your reputation."

I’m telling you, that’s not it!

...Should I rewind time?

If I rewound and moved somewhere else, Charlotte wouldn’t have caught me here. Alice might have noticed, but I didn’t think Charlotte would have been tailing me.

But as I considered this, another question arose in my mind.

It was something that had occurred to me the moment I encountered Charlotte, but her earlier remarks had derailed my train of thought.

"...By the way, why are *you* here, Princess Charlotte?"

"Pardon?"

Interrupting her, I asked quickly. For a brief moment, her eyes widened in surprise. Sensing an opportunity, I pressed further.

"Were you on the rooftop? Were you here to see Leo, perhaps?"

I tried to mirror her own tactics, hoping to fluster her, but—

When I saw Charlotte visibly relax, her shoulders sagging as she let out a long sigh, I found myself taken aback.

"I was just..."

With another deep sigh, Charlotte stepped closer and asked, "May I sit on the mat with you?"

I didn’t answer verbally, but I shifted my position to allow her a portion of the mat.

"Thank you," she said softly, gathering her skirt and carefully sitting down on the edge of the mat.

"I just needed a little break."

When I said nothing and continued to observe her in silence, Charlotte let out a faint chuckle, as if mocking herself.

"You know as well as I do, don’t you? I’m something of a ‘celebrity’ and a ‘popular figure’ at this Academy."

She wasn’t particularly active in any clubs, but her status had earned her a spot on the student council. She was one of the few foreign students at the Academy, and among them, she had the most noble lineage. Unlike people like Rena or Sophia, who had gained admission purely through merit, Charlotte exuded an innate aura of nobility.

She might even be more popular than Alice or me.

To the imperial aristocracy, Alice and I were enigmatic figures who avoided social events entirely. And, of course, we had the Emperor looming behind us. Together, we appeared as an incomprehensible, menacing trio.

Although Alice had managed to shed some of that intimidating image through conversation, few dared to casually approach their own country’s princess. Thinking about their futures, most people preferred to tread carefully.

But Charlotte, the Princess of Belbour...

Imperial citizens often viewed other nations as slightly inferior, leading them to treat foreign nobles of the same rank more casually. While outright disrespect was rare, they interacted with them with a far more relaxed attitude.

Of course, such treatment might leave the foreigner thinking, *Do they think I’m easy to manipulate?*

"I’ve lost count of how many invitations I’ve received from ducal houses. And seriously, how does this country have so many dukes? There are *three* whose territories are adjacent to the capital alone! And twelve in total! Isn’t that excessive, no matter how large the Empire is?"

I agreed—it was excessive.

And none of the twelve dukes were mere figureheads. Each one wielded considerable influence, regardless of their proximity to the capital.

"I attended a few gatherings out of politeness at first. After all, it’s customary in my kingdom to accept such invitations. But these dukes..."

Charlotte sighed deeply, as if even recalling it drained her energy.

"They might be thinking of me as a potential daughter-in-law. Perhaps they’re imagining a future where I become queen and marry one of their sons, allowing them to claim the name ‘Belbour’ for their family. Or worse, they might even want to rename the entire kingdom."

"So, you came here to avoid them?"

"That’s right. Is that a problem?"

Charlotte pouted slightly, her expression tinged with a bit of sulkiness, and I almost laughed.

For her, it was clearly frustrating, but I could understand. If men constantly flocked to me, I’d find it unbearable too... Or wait, is this different?

If women started flocking to me instead...

...

Yeah, let’s not go there. Men and women don’t think the same way, after all.

As silence settled between us, I wondered if I should explain my reasons for being here. Should I warn Charlotte about the impending war? Should I tell her that Sophia wasn’t actually from Belbour but from the Holy Kingdom?

Hmm.

No, not yet. If the Emperor truly didn’t intend to start a war, mentioning this now might inadvertently provide Belbour with a justification for conflict.

"I consider Claire to be like a little sister," I began, deciding to use a safer excuse.

"And Leo is Claire’s sibling..."

Whether he was her older or younger brother remained unclear, so I left it ambiguous.

"So, you’re saying you want to personally evaluate the kind of woman your little sister’s family is associating with?"

Charlotte asked, raising an eyebrow.

"If I am Claire’s older sister, and Leo, as Claire claims, is her younger brother, then Leo would also be my younger brother, in a sense."

"Hmm~"

Charlotte narrowed her eyes, her lips twitching with amusement as if she were barely holding back laughter.

...She didn’t believe me at all.

Still, it was better than offering no excuse at all.

"Very well, then," she said at last.

At least Charlotte understood—or so I thought.

"In that case, I’ll help. I happen to have plenty of free time right now."

"..."

Of course, in a way I didn’t want.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Would you consider dropping this, like you did during the Northwood incident—"

"Oh, that time."

Ah.

I shouldn’t have brought that up.

Charlotte’s face lit up with a mischievous smile as she stood abruptly.

Then, leaning toward me playfully, she said, "You still owe me for that. Let’s consider this a chance to pay back that debt. And honestly, as a woman, don’t you think my judgment would be better than yours? I’d be much more suited to assess whether Sophia is a good match for Leo or not."

But even as she spoke, her eyes seemed to say: *You’re just using this as an excuse to spy on Leo because you like him, aren’t you?*

I’m telling you, that’s not it!