The Protagonist's Party is Too Diligent

If this were the modern world, where people were theoretically considered equal, the term "noble" would likely be reserved for those who truly embodied selflessness.

I’m not talking about wealth, intelligence, or physical prowess.

No—

I mean the kind of people who dedicate their lives to others.

Volunteers, firefighters—

Or those who quietly commit acts of kindness without expecting anything in return.

In a society without legal class distinctions, the word "noble" would bring to mind those kinds of people.

But in a world where social status is law—

That’s not how it works.

In this world, "noble" refers to the ruling class.

They are born into wealth and privilege, raised to be important, and die as important people—unless, of course, those beneath them rise up and drag them down.

The same goes for royalty and the imperial family.

Or, rather—

It’s even worse for them.

They are above the law, immune to many crimes simply because of their bloodline.

They don’t even stand trial in most cases—because who would dare judge them?

Some argue that nobles earn their status by bearing the weight of leadership—

That they must maintain their noble image, risk their lives for the people, and work tirelessly to govern.

What a joke.

Hard work?

Try climbing up from the bottom. That’s real effort.

Danger?

Only someone who’s never seen the photos of early 20th-century skyscraper workers—

Balancing on beams, hundreds of feet in the air, without so much as a harness—

Would dare to call nobility "dangerous."

Working night and day?

They work until they’re tired and then collapse onto their luxurious beds.

Meanwhile, factory workers once slept on steel beams, barely clinging to ropes for support, because they had no other choice.

And I—

Am one of these so-called nobles now.

Not by birth—

But by some twisted mix of fate and manipulation that landed me in this position.

Second in command of the Empire.

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

One of the most powerful people in the world.

(Though, personally, I don’t think of myself that way.)

And I certainly have no plans to become one of those "true nobles."

“It's been a long time, my daughter.”

The voice pulled me from my thoughts.

I looked at him.

The former Emperor.

(Or "abdicated sovereign," depending on what you want to call him.)

Not that it really mattered.

The imperial throne was empty now.

And since there was no other Emperor, I supposed he could still be referred to as one.

I glanced around the room.

This was a prison, yes—

But not the kind most people imagined.

Thick carpets lined the floor, and the walls were adorned with artwork.

There were bars, sure—

But there was also a window, where the sunlight streamed in.

Even a tea table and chairs, as if waiting for guests.

“Seems you've been living quite comfortably.”

“I wouldn’t say comfortably. Excellently might be a better word,” he said, smiling.

“The King of Belvur has treated me well.”

Of course, he had.

This wasn’t just any prison—

It was a prison for nobles.

Belvur’s aristocrats had wanted to keep him locked up within their borders, and their king had been somewhat agreeable to the idea.

But in the end—

Even a realistic king like him had to consider the facts.

The former Emperor had attempted war—

But he had failed.

And he had failed in a way that benefited Belvur.

The Holy Nation had been destroyed, and Belvur had essentially absorbed its lands.

His army had ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ never crossed Belvur’s borders.

Technically, his only crime against them had been carrying weapons while passing through.

(And even then—)

This world didn’t consider melee weapons much of a crime.

If anything, I was more heavily monitored for carrying firearms.

Of course, he had possessed something far more dangerous—

The Relic. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

But that was now a worthless stone.

And the incident in the Holy Nation was far too sensitive to be made public.

In short—

Belvur had no real reason to hold him indefinitely.

“...Was this your plan all along?”

“My plan?”

“Did you ensure that even in failure, you would still have a way out?”

He smiled.

“No, that wasn’t part of the plan. Had I succeeded, the world would have belonged to me. Had I failed, I expected to lose everything.

I had prepared contingencies—

But they were meant for choosing between paths, not for escaping the consequences.”

Then, he looked at me, his gaze sharp.

“Alice—did she order my execution?”

“Alice is not the kind of person who would order her father’s death,” I said evenly.

“And you?”

His smile widened.

“Do you think I should die?”

I narrowed my eyes.

“...Shall I guess?” he continued.

“If you still had that power, I imagine you would have killed me, just to see how Alice and the world reacted.

And if things didn’t go as you wanted—

You would simply turn back time and undo it.

Am I wrong?”

“...”

I couldn’t completely deny it.

Maybe I wouldn’t have chosen that path—

But at the same time, if it had been the most advantageous option, I wouldn’t have hesitated either.

"Who knows what would’ve happened if I killed you?"

"That’s true."

I had no way of knowing how much support the former Emperor still had.

Right now, the nobles were watching carefully—keeping quiet, calculating their own gains while warily eyeing Alice’s growing faction.

But if the Emperor—their rightful ruler—were to return to the Empire, walking its streets alive and well, how many of them would rise up in his name?

And if I executed him here—

How long before someone executed me?

"I..."

I almost said "Your Majesty."

But I caught myself.

"I have been ordered to escort you back to the Empire."

"And that order came from Alice, didn’t it?"

"She is Her Highness the Crown Princess now."

"But Alice is still Alice. She wouldn’t like you calling her that."

I ignored his remark.

"Even if you return, you will remain under house arrest for some time."

"And when you say ‘some time’—do you mean the rest of my life?"

"That depends on you.

If you cooperate in transferring power to Alice, you may live out your days as an ordinary abdicated sovereign.

If not—

Then yes, ‘some time’ may very well mean forever."

The Emperor studied me in silence.

"And why," he asked finally, "do you think I would cooperate?"

"Do you think I came to see you first?"

I met his gaze, my voice even.

"Before I came here, I visited my ‘siblings.’"

"Oh?"

The Emperor smirked, as if entertained.

"And I told them all—

Every single one, who no longer has the power to turn back time and save themselves—

I told them about you."

Even those who had already died—I found traces of them.

They had existed, at the very least.

"One of them just accepted it—coldly, indifferently.

The other—

Reacted differently.

Yes, I mean your daughter, who nearly ended up like me."

I watched him carefully.

But his expression didn’t change.

"It took a long time to convince her."

Because in this era—

Because she was a woman—

Her life had already been miserable enough.

And society had only made it worse.

"It was never just a matter of living long or dying young."

"I see."

The Emperor laughed.

I didn’t know why.

Was it because he knew his game wasn’t over?

Or because he had simply—

Given up?