The Protagonist's Party is Too Diligent

Ah, just to be clear, I had no actual intention of getting engaged.

Of course, I needed a way to keep an escape route open. After all, this was the Earl of Crowfield I was dealing with.

“I’ll have several opportunities to attempt this,” I quickly said to Alice and Claire before Mia returned. “But I’ll need your help.”

“First, tomorrow morning, I need you two to track down that monocle-wearing man. I’m not sure if he’s still on this estate, but if he is, he’ll likely be in the same place as before.”

“I remember the spot,” Alice said with a nod.

Claire, who hadn’t been with us during the previous encounter, nodded along with her. She’d witnessed the aftermath, though—how I had nearly died because of that man.

...Perhaps this time, the man would truly experience hell.

Not that I cared. This world was going to be reset anyway, and even if I had to break someone, it wouldn’t be at the cost of my companions’ growth.

“You both need to stick together when you go. That way, Claire can help if anything happens,” I said.

Thankfully, it wasn’t just us here. While they weren’t technically my guards, Alice and Claire had brought their own escorts.

“The best approach,” I continued, “is to ‘accidentally’ discover an illegal brothel while exploring the estate. Then, you can get ‘involved’ and ‘happen’ to offer assistance.”

“...Won’t they figure out what we’re doing?” Alice asked.

“It doesn’t matter if they do,” I said. “During that time, I’ll focus on persuading the Earl of Crowfield.”

“Are you sure that’s wise?” Claire asked, her expression tinged with worry. “Didn’t you say the goddess manipulates time to create the perfect moment for you to die?”

Would the Earl really try to kill me?

The Earl of Crowfield was driven by self-indulgence. Even if his desires and penchant for decadence hadn’t overtaken him, he had the ability to manage his estate competently. However, a man who had lived this long immersed in vice couldn’t possibly retain a sound mind.

In other words, he likely had no allegiance to either the imperialist or noble faction.

Perhaps that’s why the Emperor hadn’t removed him. Even with lingering unease, the Earl posed no immediate threat to the throne.

Still, caution was necessary.

There was always the possibility the Earl might lose himself to his urges, attempt something against me, and suffer an untimely death by accident.

That’s why I had come prepared.

I pulled a small pistol from my pocket.

It was a tiny weapon, with a barrel so short it was nearly impossible to aim properly. Despite its diminutive size, it fired .455-caliber bullets.

A lady’s self-defense pistol. It was a break-action firearm that held two bullets—a weapon perfect for concealing under the voluminous dresses of this era.

Thankfully, this world didn’t have metal detectors. By strapping it to my thigh under my dress, I had managed to evade even the closest searches.

The mansion’s staff was exclusively male, which meant there was no one who could "properly" search a noblewoman’s body.

“If it comes to it, you know I can hit a man ten meters away with these two bullets,” I said. 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

If the bullets landed anywhere near the target, I could always rewind time to adjust my aim.

I hadn’t practiced much shooting in this world. I was supposed to be a "tactician," weak and easily breakable in physical terms. That image was vital for deceiving the Emperor.

I needed him to believe that, apart from my intelligence, I had nothing else to offer.

But that didn’t mean I’d let my old skills go to waste.

“...Alright. If that’s how you want to handle it,” Alice said with a resigned sigh.

“Then, we’ll take care of the other matter—”

“We’ll do it tomorrow morning,” I interrupted, cutting Alice off mid-sentence.

I could hear footsteps approaching from outside the door. It was likely Mia.

This wasn’t something she could know about yet. Even if Mia felt disillusioned with her father, she was still his daughter.

...Besides, if by some twist of fate I ended up engaged to the Earl of Crowfield, wouldn’t that make me Mia’s stepmother? The thought alone made my head spin.

That must never happen.

“Ah, everyone?”

The door clicked open, and Mia entered, balancing a tray against her elbow.

As expected, the tray held a teapot, cups, and an assortment of snacks.

Judging by the quality of the tea we’d had earlier, these refreshments were likely quite high-end as well.

After all, the estate’s wealth was built on selling narcotics. Money was never an issue here, especially since they nominally sold the drugs as “morphine ingredients.”

“I’ve brought tea and snacks,” Mia said with a bright smile.

Her expression was so pure and innocent that a pang of guilt stabbed at my heart.

*

Ah, just because I proposed a meeting doesn’t mean I’m thinking of an engagement.

Naturally, I had to prepare an escape route. After all, this was the Earl of Crowfield we were dealing with.

“So, what is it that made you call me here, Lady Grace?”

A rich baritone voice brushed against my back.

It wasn’t a physical touch, but his voice seemed to sweep over my body, accompanied by a lingering gaze.

When I turned around, there he was—the Earl of Crowfield, looking at me with a heavy-lidded intensity.

...It seemed I was indeed his "type."

The appearance of "Sylvia Black" was, admittedly, strikingly beautiful, even by my own judgment. If this wasn’t my body, I might’ve been impressed. Plenty of others had been; hence the absurd nickname "Black and White Lily."

Getting the Earl alone here hadn’t been easy.

Bringing the Earl himself was simple enough. His fondness for women was no rumor—when I suggested a private conversation, he’d followed me without hesitation.

The real obstacle was the Countess of Crowfield.

She’d kept a watchful eye on every interaction between me and her husband, glaring daggers whenever we exchanged words. Whenever I proposed a conversation, she found some excuse to insert herself.

Was she jealous of a girl her daughter’s age? Well, it wouldn’t be unheard of in the world I came from.

After several rewinds and careful observation of the Earl’s habits, I finally managed to ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) arrange this meeting. It took rewinding four entire mornings just to find the right moment to casually suggest, “Could we meet in the garden in thirty minutes?”

“I needed to speak with you privately,” I said, turning my gaze to the flowers planted in the garden. At least there weren’t any poppies here.

“Privately, you say...?”

The Earl’s voice carried a subtle note of expectation.

It was amusing, really. All I’d done was ask to speak in private. I hadn’t whispered sweet nothings or declared any romantic intentions.

The Earl wasn’t particularly handsome either. Perhaps he had been in his youth. I wouldn’t know, but Mia’s striking appearance likely came from her parents. While the Countess had sharp features, she was undoubtedly beautiful. It wasn’t hard to imagine that the Earl’s looks had been one of the reasons he had won her affection in the first place.

Perhaps the Earl was still living in those days, trapped in the memory of his former glory.

“I wanted to discuss the current state of affairs,” I said.

“State of affairs, is it?”

Did he think I was an awkward young lady, clumsily bringing up his interests to win his attention? His thick, bristling mustache moved visibly with his words. Disgusted by the sight, I quickly continued.

“There’s going to be a war soon. If things remain as they are, Crowfield will be on the front lines. All the achievements you’ve built will be wiped out.”

The Earl froze mid-step as he approached me.

“Imperial dreadnought-class airships will pass over Crowfield, accompanied by fighters cutting through the skies.”

“...What?”

“Incidentally, I happen to know the weak points of those dreadnoughts. If you’re interested, I could share them with you.”

The emotions drained from the Earl’s face in an instant.

It wasn’t a deliberate effort to mask his expression—his mind had simply gone blank.

Yes, even if I appeared calm now, I’d caused quite the ruckus in the previous timeline.

I knew exactly which parts of a dreadnought’s interior to target to bring it down effectively.

And if I knew that much, why would I need to handle it myself?