The Protagonist's Party is Too Diligent

Mia Crowfield’s face was pale as she stepped into the room.

She must have noticed that the door was locked in an unusual way, and she could likely guess that someone was inside.

And if that someone happened to be the person she suspected had killed her father, it would have been an even greater shock.

Especially if that person was sitting on her bed, casually playing with a gun.

...Had I gone too far?

For a moment, I thought I might have overdone it, but I quickly brushed the thought aside. If things really got out of hand, I could always rewind time and adjust the situation.

“What... do you want?” Mia asked, her eyes shifting between my face and the gun in my hand.

“Do you know what this gun is?” I asked.

“...”

Mia hesitated, clearly unsure of how to answer. She could try to claim ignorance—it wasn’t as though the gun was hidden behind any special lock. Unless someone already knew where to look, like I did, they wouldn’t have found it.

But the problem was, I was the one asking.

It wasn’t that I simply knew there was something hidden beneath her bed. The people around me assumed I had near-omniscient abilities. The Emperor and his children treated me as if I had some kind of foresight, and I’d already shown in class that I possessed incredible abilities.

They wouldn’t be surprised that I found something hidden under Mia’s bed.

Finding it and showing it to her, however, was another matter entirely.

“Firearms are prohibited on school grounds. Did you not know that?”

How she had smuggled it in wasn’t important. The fact that she had been caught was.

“May I ask why you brought this gun here?” I looked up at her from my seat on the bed.

“...Th-that’s...” Mia stammered, her face still pale, her body trembling. It was a little pitiful.

After all, it wasn’t really her fault. The one who had done wrong was her father. Perhaps her mother too.

Mia herself didn’t know anything. She’d simply grown up being told things by her parents.

And this gun—well, she hadn’t used it yet.

But, by the Empire’s laws, the situation was different.

She would be expelled from the academy for sure, and depending on the reason she’d hidden the gun, she could be executed.

Given the circumstances and the fact that there was already incriminating evidence, the Emperor could easily twist the situation to his advantage.

The danger Mia was in now was far worse than when Count Crowfield had been killed. If the Emperor wanted, he could justify eradicating the entire Crowfield family.

After all, I was still a princess.

“Are... are you planning to kill me?” Mia finally managed to ask, her voice shaking.

“Why don’t you close the door, and we can talk?” I replied calmly.

After I said that, Mia hurriedly closed the door.

Silence.

Now, it was just the two of us in the room. Alice knew I was here because I’d informed her beforehand, but no one else knew about the connection between Mia and me.

“Would you care to explain why you think I would want to kill you?” I asked.

“...Because I’m a Crowfield,” Mia answered, her voice barely a whisper.

“And you know I can’t just kill a noble’s daughter without consequences, don’t you?”

“A-After you killed my father...”

Mia swallowed hard and continued.

“After you killed him...”

“...”

I looked at Mia carefully.

Was she saying that because she had actual evidence? Or was it just blind belief?

Last time, I’d baited her into revealing her suspicions. Now, it was important to confirm how she had come to know about the situation.

“May I ask why you’re so certain?” I asked.

“...”

Mia closed her eyes tightly before opening them again.

“Because... on the day my father died, you weren’t at the palace.”

“...”

I waited, but she didn’t elaborate.

“Is that the only reason?”

“Not just you. Every time a noble died mysteriously, one of the Emperor’s children was missing from the palace.”

“...”

I see.

The Emperor hadn’t bothered to hide that fact. If anything, he’d probably made sure it was obvious—to send a message to any nobles who dared defy him.

That was why Mia was so sure.

And, of course, she was right. I had killed her father.

“So, are you planning to take revenge? By killing me?” I asked.

“...”

But she didn’t answer that question.

Was it because she was afraid of me? Did she think that if she answered wrongly, I might kill her on the spot? Was she worried that her revenge would be stopped before it even started?

“...I’m not sure,” she finally muttered, her voice lacking confidence.

“...”

Not sure?

After preparing a gun and magical crystals, she still wasn’t sure if she wanted to kill me?

I fell silent, thinking.

In the original story, Mia had tried to kill Claire but had given up. However, that had only happened after she’d found conclusive evidence linking her father to the terrible things he’d done. That part of the story hadn’t even occurred yet.

Mia’s suspicion of Claire had never wavered in the original. Could my presence here have caused her doubts?

Strictly speaking, I was an easier target for her, wasn’t I? At least psychologically, if not in practice.

I was always cold and emotionless—a killing machine. I was the kind of person who didn’t feel any guilt about taking a life.

Since I had never shown any human emotions, wouldn’t it be easier for her to kill me?

“I have a question,” Mia said.

“Why did you act so human when no one else was around?”

“...Human?” I tilted my head in confusion.

Human? Was she saying I had smiled when no one was watching?

Mia’s expression was weary, as though she had already given up. She looked like someone who had been through too much at once and just wanted to fall asleep without thinking anymore.

It was the kind of look a soldier had after returning from a war, exhausted and drained.

“...I followed you,” she said.

...What?

“I followed you, trying to see how you acted when no one else was around.”

...Huh?

“And... when you were sure no one was watching, you acted just like any normal person. You sniffled, yawned, and even dozed off while sitting.”

“...”

What in the world...?

When did I ever...?

...

...Oh.

Suddenly, a chill ran down my spine.

Back in the palace, I had always been on high alert. I had to be, with Lucas constantly trying to attack me. Rewinding time to dodge his blade was one thing, but the real danger was when he didn’t try to kill me outright.

If Lucas was lurking around, I could never know where he might strike from unless he made himself known.

That’s why I had to maintain my persona so strictly. If I didn’t, Lucas might report back to the Emperor about my behavior. Despite his casual attitude toward the Emperor, Lucas’s loyalty to him was undeniable.

He might have wanted to kill me, but he was serious about his duties.

But at the academy... I’d relaxed a bit.

Even in the palace, I’d let my guard down slightly in my room, but never to the extent I had here. The only one who might burst into my room at the academy was Alice, and she had already started to understand me. Even if she saw me let my guard down, it wouldn’t shock her.

As long as I maintained a certain level of composure, like when eating parfaits, Alice wouldn’t be fazed.

But... had I relaxed too much?

Had Mia Crowfield really been tailing me?

“When did you start?” I asked.

“Answer my question first,” Mia said, her expression still confused, but with a hint of determination in her eyes. She wanted answers from me, no matter what.

“Was everything you did an act? Were you trying to throw me off?”

“...”

“Did you really kill my father? Did you come into my room today to silence me? I don’t know anymore. I can’t understand the logic behind your actions, or if there’s any consistency to what you’re doing.”

“...”

Hmm.

She had probably been following me for at least a week. The only time I could have been caught dozing off was that morning when I had gotten up early to wait for the carriage.

The yawning, the sniffling... it must have all happened then.

But there was no guarantee she hadn’t been tailing me before that. If I rewound time to stop myself from doing those things, I could at least erase that impression from her mind. But the problem was, I couldn’t be sure she hadn’t caught me earlier—or wouldn’t catch me later.

If I rewound time, I might have to go all the way back to the start of the semester.

Just thinking about it made me feel dizzy.

It was only the second weekend, but so much had happened in these two weeks. I could rewind time, but I couldn’t fast-forward through it.

I had worked so hard to reach this point, and now I’d have to redo everything because of this?

Well, sure.

Maybe I could handle things more quickly this time. The time itself would pass at the same speed, but I wouldn’t have to rewind as many times.

But even then, could I maintain the same relationships I’d built with everyone so far?

Even if it would be their first time meeting me again, to me, it would be like meeting them for the umpteenth time. Could I really pretend to be meeting them for the first time? Could I recreate the image I’d carefully built up?

And the truth was, I didn’t want to lose the feelings I’d experienced. The excitement of meeting characters I had loved in the game. If I rewound everything, that excitement would be dulled.

No matter how much I criticized the game, my affection for the characters had always been genuine.

Even for the Mia Crowfield standing in front of me now.

“Please answer me.”

Mia’s voice was almost pleading at this point.

“Why did you go out of your way to help me with the assignment? Why are you standing here, showing no hostility toward me?”

The more I listened to her, the more I realized how much I’d overlooked.

“...”

I raised a hand, stopping Mia mid-sentence.

After organizing my thoughts, I spoke slowly.

“I know the truth.”

Yes, rather than rewind everything and start over, it might be better to get through this situation first and then figure out my next steps.

“But I can’t reveal everything to you right now.”

I looked Mia Crowfield directly in the eyes as I spoke.