The Protagonist's Party is Too Diligent

“You both don’t seem particularly worried about what’s to come.”

Had it been a different noble instead of Leo who heard this, the outcome would likely have been far more severe than a moment of pale shock before moving on.

Even in a world where human rights are at rock bottom and the monarchy is all-powerful, there are limits. While the original game was for all ages and didn’t venture into horrifying concepts like a “human farm,” the fact that the Emperor may have abandoned children he sired with a fallen royal family member would be a massive political scandal.

It was likely for that reason the Emperor hadn’t told his other children about the situation. He had revealed the truth to me as though it were self-evident, confident I wouldn’t disclose it to the others.

As for the Emperor’s moral failings, those were secondary. The bigger concern was if the “children,” once aware of their imperial blood, became rallying points for nobles seeking to form factions.

Or... perhaps not.

Thinking it over, it seemed unlikely.

Bella, Damian, Lucas, and Jayden all had distinct personalities, but none seemed particularly eager to become Emperor. They were likely enjoying their current, relatively free lives.

Jayden was the most ambitious of the group, but even he had lived a more comfortable life than the rest of us—especially compared to Bella and me. Though his life wasn’t without its hardships, it was nothing compared to ours.

Thanks to his easier upbringing, Jayden was also the most socially adept, often taking the lead among the Emperor’s children.

If rumors began circulating about nobles allying with the Emperor’s children, it would likely be a ploy by the Emperor himself to gather those nobles in one place and eliminate them.

While I was lost in thought, Leo seemed to have regained some of his composure. His face was no longer as pale as it had been earlier, though he still looked as though a cold sweat might break out at any moment.

“Um, well...”

After a brief pause, Leo spoke.

“I think Claire’s right.”

“...You don’t have to use formal speech in informal settings,” I reminded him.

“Oh, uh, okay?”

Even so, he still seemed unsure of how to handle his position. This wasn’t uncommon among the Academy students. Leo wasn’t the type to consistently use formal speech, so the shift back and forth wasn’t surprising.

“So, what do you mean by ‘Claire’s right’?”

Alice, looking exasperated, interjected.

“I mean that no matter what bloodline Claire might come from, she’s still my sister,” Leo said, seemingly resolved to speak informally.

Claire glanced at him with a sideways glare but didn’t object further.

“Our parents never treated Claire differently while raising her. Of course, they recognized the difference between a son and a daughter, but Claire’s bloodline wasn’t part of that distinction.”

The Grace baron and baroness would undoubtedly have acted that way. While the original game didn’t include a character for Leo’s younger sister, even without that background, their upright personalities made it clear they’d treat her no differently.

“Even if Claire had commoner blood instead of imperial blood, she’d still be Claire. So, no matter who her ‘real father’ might be, it doesn’t change anything. Especially since Claire herself doesn’t think it matters.”

“Leo...”

Claire, uncharacteristically, looked deeply moved by Leo’s words.

Her expression was remarkably similar to the one she’d shown Leo only once in the original game.

However, the expression here felt far more vivid. While the game had individual models for major characters, the preset expressions often felt reused. Here, Claire’s emotions were unmistakably alive.

Of course, this wasn’t a game. Every individual here truly existed, fully alive.

“That said, I’m still the older sibling.”

“No, now that we can determine birth order, isn’t it about time we clarified things?”

“I already told you—I’m a Grace, not a Fangryphon.”

“In that case, since you joined the Grace family later, doesn’t that make you the younger sibling?”

Watching the two of them bicker immediately after such a touching moment made it clear: they were siblings through and through.

I’d never had a younger sister or older sibling myself, but I imagined this was what it would feel like.

Creating this kind of atmosphere was Leo’s unique talent—something neither he nor others could easily replicate.

In the original game, Leo didn’t have many deep entanglements with other characters. The story focused on the classic “boy meets girl” harem narrative, with Leo, a mere son of a lower-ranking noble family, gradually forming connections with the Academy’s many characters and being drawn into their various situations.

Meeting Alice, then becoming entangled with her rival, Claire. Building ties with Charlotte and Mia. Even getting involved with the teachers and becoming the center of countless events. 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

While Leo lacked any significant political skills, his ability to make those around him feel comfortable and secure turned him into the story’s “core.”

I admired that.

And I envied it.

If Claire... even if she’d escaped her bleak past thanks to me, would she have grown so bright and cheerful if she’d ended up with a different family instead of the Graces?

“...”

“Um, Sylvia?”

Noticing my silence, Claire and Leo stopped their bickering and looked at me uncertainly.

I must’ve looked strange to them, sitting there quietly, lost in thought.

They probably felt a bit awkward about having argued over something so trivial after such a serious discussion.

Not that they needed to.

It was still early in the day, and we weren’t departing immediately. There was plenty of time left, and it wouldn’t hurt to relax a little.

Soon enough, we wouldn’t even have that luxury.

But once a lively mood is broken, it’s hard to regain.

Feeling a bit disappointed, I pushed the relic on the table toward Claire.

Even in broad daylight, its blue light shone brightly.

The light directed at Claire was unmistakably stronger.

At this point, even without knowing exactly what the relic was, its meaning was clear.

Claire’s bloodline was closer to the imperial family’s.

I noticed Alice biting her lip slightly but chose to pretend I hadn’t seen it.

“This is the reason I called you here.”

As I began to speak, the three of them fell silent.

“The Emperor gathered the most capable among the children he scattered across the land, creating the group known as the ‘Emperor’s Children.’ Though the name itself was coined by others to describe individuals like Alice and me.”

“...But didn’t the previous generation have a similar group? Were their bloodlines mixed the same way?”

“That, I don’t know.”

Most of the previous generation had died decades ago.

“But at least among this generation, it’s clear that the bloodlines are intertwined. Among the Emperor’s children, all but me share his blood.”

I could practically see the exclamation mark pop over Leo’s head. His eyes widened as he alternated between looking at me and the relic.

The relic’s light was completely absent on my side.

“W-Wait, so that means...”

“Yes,” I confirmed, turning to Leo, whose face had paled again.

“The Emperor mistook me for Claire. Due to a series of coincidences during an incident in our childhood, Claire and I ended up switching places.”

“....”

Alice closed her eyes, as though she’d already pieced everything together.

Claire covered her mouth with her hand, while Leo stared at me with a slack-jawed expression, as if worried his jaw might fall off.

Yeah, it’s a mess, isn’t it?