The Protagonist's Party is Too Diligent

“...Do you truly believe her words?” Lucas asked skeptically.

The Emperor shrugged casually. “Not entirely.”

The Emperor wasn’t entirely unaware of Sylvia’s existence. She had made a name for herself in high society, after all. Whether he fully recognized her significance was unclear, but she had demonstrated enough skill to extract information from people who showed her favor.

He had heard about her adoption. Lucas had already mentioned that she might be “that girl” from back then, so the Emperor had been keeping an eye on her to some degree. The Grace family wasn’t one to be discarded lightly.

On top of that, he was well aware that his two daughters had grown close to Sylvia Grace at social gatherings.

But the claim that Sylvia Grace—the so-called “Black and White Lily of Grace”—was the Emperor’s daughter?

“It’s possible she’s trying to use me,” the Emperor mused.

“In that case, wouldn’t it be better to eliminate her outright?” Lucas pressed.

“That would be problematic. From what I know, the Grace family has raised her with great care. While everyone is aware she wasn’t born into the family, no one questions her identity as a Grace. The Grace family is one that considers any child carrying their name, blood-related or not, to be their own.”

In other words, if the Emperor acted against Sylvia, the Grace family would turn their backs on him.

Yes, they were merely barons with a small territory within the capital. If the Emperor wished, he could crush them with sheer force.

But doing so would cost him politically.

The Grace family had pledged unwavering loyalty to the Emperor. If he destroyed such a steadfast ally over a mere suspicion—especially for reasons he couldn’t publicly explain—other loyalist families would see him as a tyrant who eliminates even his most faithful supporters without cause.

The Emperor’s power was strong, but much of it rested on the support of these loyalist families. If he turned on one of the few genuinely loyal houses, it was only a matter of time before other families, feeling cornered, began to rebel. Even rats will bite a cat when they feel there’s no escape.

And in this case, there were many “rats.”

“Besides,” the Emperor added with a faint smirk, “the girl clearly knows something.”

“...Could it be you really have children born outside the palace?” Lucas pressed further, his voice tinged with curiosity.

“Hmm.”

The Emperor fell silent for a moment, contemplating.

That was the problem.

He had separated the mothers from their children at an early age to prevent them from recognizing their imperial lineage. Yet somehow, Sylvia remembered.

After hearing her call him “Father,” he had investigated, but he couldn’t find any trace of her mother. Whether the woman was dead or simply too insignificant for him to remember was unclear.

There had been many women who whispered false declarations of love and promised loyalty in exchange for power. Few received any real rewards for their efforts. Even those who did never rose to become nobles or royals themselves.

The Emperor hadn’t paid attention to children who didn’t show promise. There had been others before Lucas and Bella—children who had died while serving in menial roles. Their deaths didn’t bother him much, nor did he keep track of the total number of offspring.

Even if some noble families discovered a former royal consort or an imperial child, it didn’t matter. The Emperor could always deny their claims. Without his acknowledgment, there was no proof.

But Sylvia was an anomaly.

If she were one of those abandoned for a lack of talent, then discovering her potential now made her an interesting case.

She was a child with vivid memories from an age so young that most people couldn’t recall anything.

How had she known about the relic? Perhaps she didn’t know the relic’s true nature, but she had likely been tracking his movements and deducing his goals.

If she possessed such intelligence, it wasn’t impossible that she could infer someone’s intentions just by observing their actions.

“Well, I’m still a man,” the Emperor replied vaguely, deflecting Lucas’s question.

It was too early for his “children” to realize the truth of their heritage.

“So, you’re saying this Sylvia girl might actually—”

“We’ll see,” the Emperor interrupted.

Lucas let out a low whistle.

The Emperor’s gaze fell to the small relic fragment in his hand.

With just this piece, it was impossible to discern its full purpose.

But if Sylvia had known about the relic from the beginning...

Then she might be more than just the Emperor’s child.

Considering his plans and the goddess’s potential involvement, it wasn’t far-fetched.

“Let’s keep watching for now,” the Emperor decided. “We’ll see whether Sylvia stands by her ‘father’ or chooses to betray him in the end.”

In any case, there was only one way to find out:

Completing the relic.

Still—

“It’s strange,” the Emperor murmured. “That Sylvia girl’s face feels familiar.”

Whether it was because she resembled one of the women he had been with, a memory from a past banquet, or even a subtle instinct born of shared blood, the Emperor couldn’t say.

But he was deeply curious.

*

“Crowfield estate?”

Claire tilted her head in curiosity, while Alice’s expression turned slightly complicated.

In the original timeline, I had been invited to the Grace family estate during the holidays, but now I was already considered a daughter of the Grace family.

Moreover, my relationship with the kids from the orphanage was excellent. Even after joining the Grace family, I had made a point of looking after them with great care. Perhaps that was one reason why I was accepted as a daughter of the Grace family—they’d seen that side of me without reservation.

Now, however, there was no need for such efforts.

Claire had already shared her childhood with the kids in a previous life, and in this timeline, they’d spent plenty of time with me. So much so that when we were alone, or when it was just me and the kids, we spoke informally.

Granted, I still used polite speech with them—it suited my role as a "noble lady."

As for Alice, she had no connection to the orphanage in either life, so there was no need for her to get involved.

Instead of letting another holiday slip by aimlessly, it was better to deal with unresolved matters before I lost focus again.

...Like the Earl of Crowfield, who hadn’t died in this timeline.

And Mia, whose life had been ruined in an entirely different way because of that Earl.

I wasn’t sure if that monocle-wearing thug was still at the Crowfield estate, but at the very least, I could disrupt the Earl’s operations.

Whether the Emperor truly believed my claims was unclear. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

However, if I used this opportunity to "dirty my hands" under the pretense of helping the Emperor, it could earn me some points with him.

In this timeline, the Masked Woman didn’t exist. If the goddess wanted to keep me in check, inserting someone like that would have been the easiest way. Perhaps the presence of someone who had "usurped" the goddess’s power had made her more cautious.

The general rule was simple: if you want to guarantee victory, eliminate as many variables as possible.

Conversely, if you want to destroy someone’s plans, it’s best to become the variable yourself.

“I want to help Mia,” I said.

Alice nodded solemnly. Since she had been there with me at the time, she understood just how important that moment had been.

“More importantly,” I added, “the man who tried to crush me under his carriage back then is probably still there.”

“...Alright, I’m coming,” Claire said.

Her eyes sparked with fury.

It seemed she was more enraged by the man who had nearly killed me than she was moved by Mia’s plight.

To be honest, I couldn’t blame her. I’d been deeply affected by that incident too.

So much so that I had made sure his face was drenched in blood.

...The orphanage director was dead.

But at least, in this timeline, the children from the orphanage hadn’t disappeared without a trace.

The building hadn’t burned down, and the records remained intact.

By memorizing those names diligently, I could ensure that the children’s existence wouldn’t be forgotten, even if I returned to my original world.