The Protagonist's Party is Too Diligent

I felt it once again.

I had grown.

In the past, I would have definitely shouted, “Again!” by now and started over, methodically reworking my plan from the beginning.

Granted, it’s not like the kind of grand-scale “plans” the Emperor could conjure would come flowing from my mind effortlessly.

To be honest, compared to a year ago, I had been acting without much thought.

But now...

“...”

Charlotte’s gaze was a little uncomfortable. It was understandable. It hadn’t been long since she told me I was a true friend, only for that same “friend” to propose causing a mess in her country.

Still, the fact that I felt uneasy about her expression meant I believed we’d grown close.

After all, if she didn’t think we were close, she wouldn’t be looking at me like this. Back at the start of the semester, she would have hidden her true feelings behind a practiced smile.

Now, however—

‘Can I really trust her? Does she actually have a plan? Was everything I thought I understood about Sylvia completely wrong?’

The doubt in her expression was plain as day, something she never would have shown back then.

...It’s fine. Even if her gaze toward me has grown a little colder, doesn’t the fact that she’s comfortable enough to show it mean we’re friends? Right?

As I consoled myself with that thought, I looked around.

Charlotte wasn’t the only one whose demeanor toward me had changed.

If this were earlier, I couldn’t have stood in front of Mia and boldly declared, “I killed your father, and he deserved to die.” Back then, I wouldn’t have been able to bear the thought of how Mia might look at me after hearing that.

Rewinding time to repair relationships is also a way of destroying what’s been built. It’s not just about fighting and drifting apart or finding something unlikable in someone. Even the negative aspects of a relationship are part of it—things that can be overcome with effort, by apologizing, understanding why someone acts the way they do, and growing together.

To rewind time is to disregard the weight of those shared memories.

Mia may have been the first to realize this and say something wise to me about it, but I’ll let that slide for now.

“...So.”

Leo, who had been sitting with his head in his hands for a while, was the first to break the silence.

“You’re saying we’re going to attack the cathedral near the heart of Lutetia, and the people who go in have to be the most ‘trustworthy’?”

“That’s correct,” I replied.

“So you can’t trust Lutetia’s soldiers?”

“I can’t.”

Charlotte’s gaze grew even colder at my words, but I ignored it for now.

“Then the people sent by the Empire—”

“—are not an option for me,” Charlotte interjected.

Leo closed his mouth momentarily, then glanced up at me.

“...”

“...”

An awkward silence hung in the air.

“Excuse me.”

Finally, Mia broke the silence, her voice cautious.

“Everyone here... except for Charlotte, are all from the Empire.”

True enough.

But even so, everyone here was trustworthy. We’d worked together multiple times, and I knew each of them was more than capable.

Sophia was excluded, likely asleep in her room—or praying.

Rena was also left out. Though she was a dear friend who followed me devotedly, she was still a foreigner.

As for Jake and Rottie... I couldn’t find them. Wherever they were, I could only hope they weren’t overstepping as students.

Even with those four absent, I believed we could manage. With Leo and Claire as the vanguard, both trained by the Sword Saint, and my own sufficient firepower, we had what we needed.

The masked woman and Lucas were wild cards, but if they both appeared, it might actually be a stroke of luck. Even if my abilities were restricted, they wouldn’t be completely sealed, and those two would never team up.

Having accounted for those variables, I was confident.

And yet—

“...”

Something felt off.

Even Claire, who normally responded to my plans with an enthusiastic “Yes!”, was looking at me with a deeply uncomfortable expression.

Arms crossed, she glared at me like she had a serious grievance.

“Sis, what about the people you left out?” Claire asked.

“...The ones I left out?”

“Sophia, Rena, Jake, and Rottie.”

“Jake and Rottie are probably off enjoying some quality time together. If I were to interrupt, I’d be ruining their precious memories.”

“Fine, let’s set them aside. What about Rena and Sophia?”

Claire’s voice was strangely cold as she tapped her crossed arms with her fingers.

“Those two are foreigners—”

“Excuse me!”

Mia, who had been nervously watching the situation, raised her hand abruptly.

“We’re foreigners too! At least, by Belvur’s standards...”

Her sharp awareness of the situation likely stemmed from having grown up near the border. If she realized she was part of this group, it would be a real problem for her.

“That’s true. From my perspective, you’re all ‘foreign friends.’ Friends I personally invited here. Besides, Sophia’s even from the same homeland as me.”

Ah, right.

Charlotte didn’t know that Sophia was originally from the Holy Nation.

If she found out, things would get incredibly awkward—not in terms of national politics but on a personal level.

How many people could continue treating a friend as such after learning they were a spy from another country?

“Besides, you know Sophia, don’t you? If you deliberately left her out, she’d be devastated when she found out later. And Rena? She adores you. Do you even know how she talks about you?”

“...”

For the record, Alice hadn’t spoken a single word since we met with the king earlier. She’d just been glaring at me with a face full of discontent, as if saying, “Let’s see how far you’ll go with this.”

...

Relationships are best handled head-on. That’s how they leave a lasting impact, how you figure out how to move forward together and build shared memories—

...Screw it.

“Again!”

When things go completely awry, nothing beats rewinding time.

If I’d had this ability in my past life, I’d have used it all the time.

Timing is crucial for apologies. Even a slight delay can make forgiveness nearly impossible.

In my past life, I’d made countless blunders by acting thoughtlessly.

Well, at least now, with this ability, I can truly build friendships—even if it took rewinding time to realize that.

“I’m sorry.”

“Huh?”

Shortly after our meeting with the king, but before gathering the others, the three of us—Charlotte, Alice, and I—were in Charlotte’s room. Bowing my head deeply, I spoke.

“...”

Charlotte froze momentarily, then, in an incredulous tone, said, “Do you even understand what you’re doing? A princess of the Empire bowing to a princess of a kingdom—”

“If that’s how you want to see it, so be it.”

“...”

At my words, Charlotte fell silent.

“But my apology is not just about politics or strategy. It’s as Sylvia, not as Fangryphon, that I’m apologizing.”

Depending on how she interpreted that, it could sound insulting. By shedding the name Fangryphon, I was no longer a figure of great importance.

“I’m sorry for keeping this plan a secret until now. It’s not just a military or political matter. I’m apologizing because, as your friend, I kept you in the dark about a plan that could harm your homeland.”

It took rewinding time for me to realize this. How foolish.

I could claim personal growth all I wanted, but unless others recognized it, what was the point?

The room was silent for a long moment.

“In that case, I’ll speak as Charlotte, your friend, not as a princess. Raise your head.”

Her words brightened my mood considerably.

I barely managed to keep my expression neutral as I lifted my head.

Charlotte met my eyes with a radiant smile.

However, for some reason, she was raising a tightly clenched fist beside her face.

If this were a game, her fist would probably have exaggerated, cartoonish veins popping out.

And I could guarantee, even without those veins, her punch would hurt.

Charlotte, still smiling brightly, said, “I’ll forgive you—but only if you let me hit you once.”

Uh-oh.