The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 16
EP.16 Interlude
She was a strange child.
That was Alice’s first thought when she saw Sylvia.
To be honest, there was nothing odd about her. Sylvia, sitting quietly with her mouth shut, was just a pretty girl who liked reading books.
Even if you exchanged a few words with her, you wouldn’t notice anything particularly odd. Her speech might be a little stiff, but she used polite, formal language and knew her place well, always bowing her head to those above her.
However, the longer you spoke with her, and the more you observed her actions, the more the oddities began to reveal themselves.
Sylvia had grown up alongside Alice since they were very young. Alice didn’t remember exactly how their first meeting went. Somewhere in the hazy memories of childhood, Sylvia had suddenly appeared and was soon exchanging words with her.
Or rather, to be precise, it was Alice who initiated conversations, and Sylvia simply responded.
According to Lucas, Alice used to be scared of Sylvia, who never changed her expression no matter how much Alice talked to her. Alice would hide behind the adults whenever she encountered Sylvia and would run away as if afraid Sylvia might speak to her.
‘Me? Scared of Sylvia?’
When Alice first heard this, she didn’t quite believe it.
But after taking some time to reflect, she began to think maybe there was some truth to it.
Because, if she was honest, Alice was still a little afraid of Sylvia.
Alice was the only legitimate heir to the Emperor. It was right for Alice, who had no siblings or half-siblings, to inherit the bloodline of the Fangriffon dynasty. If the current Emperor, Arthur III, didn’t have a hobby of bringing orphans into his inner circle, it might have been so.
Even without the bloodline, Fangriffon was still Fangriffon.
Long ago, when the world collapsed and order was being remade, a deformed child had been abandoned on a cliff. That child survived among twisted beasts. That child, who defeated a pack of gryphons and rode the largest one, later became the first Emperor of the Empire. People called him the ‘Leader of the Gryphons’ in reverence. That name, “Fangriffon,” carried that meaning.
Of course, Alice knew it was a myth. Gryphons still existed in modern times, but no one had successfully tamed one. They might be captured or hunted, and one might even ride on their back, but the gryphon would resist until the end. That’s why the story of someone taming a gryphon was considered a myth. Gryphons didn’t even live in packs.
But in an Empire with such a myth, the name ‘Fangriffon’ held special significance.
It was unclear how the Imperial Parliament or the people of the Empire felt.
But at least from the Fangriffon perspective, the name Fangriffon signified the ability to rule as Emperor. Even if someone didn’t share the bloodline, as long as they had the capability to carry the name Fangriffon, the emperor would gladly hand over the throne to them.
That was why Sylvia was frightening. She didn’t have the same terrifying aura as the legendary first Emperor from the myths, but Sylvia handled things effortlessly, as if she knew what was going to happen.
It was hard to imagine Sylvia riding atop a gryphon.
And that was why Sylvia was a strange child.
Despite her extraordinary abilities and the name Fangriffon, she acted as if she would never ascend to the Emperor’s throne. She repeatedly said that the true princess was Alice and that she was merely there to assist Alice.
At first, Alice wondered if Sylvia was hiding her true intentions… but, well, Sylvia had never shown any signs of contradicting her words.
Judging someone’s intentions based solely on their appearance was one of the worst mistakes in politics.
But at least from Alice’s perspective, Sylvia seemed to relax when she was around Alice. Though she remained expressionless, Sylvia often ignored or gave curt responses to other step-siblings, but she actively engaged in conversation with Alice.
Whenever Alice felt anxious, Sylvia encouraged her, and when Alice was sad, Sylvia comforted her. Though her tone was always emotionless, Alice felt reassured by her words.
Was it all an act?
Was Sylvia merely acting mechanically in front of Alice because she was the princess?
Was Alice being deceived by such a simple act?
If so—
—Yes, if even that was an act, then Sylvia was indeed fit to be Emperor from the start.
*
Despite having followed Sylvia all the way to the kingdom, Alice Fangriffon was now deeply regretting her decision.
She knew her father held Sylvia in high regard. That didn’t mean he didn’t love Alice, but there was a difference between favoring someone as a talented individual and loving someone as his child. Unlike Alice, who hadn’t been assigned any significant duties or even officially designated as the crown princess, Sylvia was already handling the most important affairs of the Empire with ease.
Sylvia herself always treated Alice as the future Emperor… but that didn’t ease Alice’s anxiety. Ultimately, it was not Sylvia but Alice’s father, the current Emperor, who would decide the next Emperor.
“I’m going to get scolded again…”
Her father often called Sylvia to ask her about future matters. Alice, not wanting to be left out, would either try to eavesdrop or awkwardly mimic what Sylvia was doing.
And each time, her father’s stern rebuke would follow.
He never shouted or hit her, but the weight of his words was heavy, befitting an Emperor. Alice felt intimidated whenever she heard those words.
And each time, it was Sylvia who comforted her.
Alice knew that Sylvia’s words weren’t always entirely sincere. Whenever Alice felt disappointed about scoring lower than Sylvia, she would claim she had only been lucky enough to get a few more questions right. But Alice knew better—there was no way Sylvia had simply been lucky.
If Sylvia wanted, she could easily score a perfect mark.
Yet, knowing this, Alice still felt her spirits lift whenever Sylvia spoke to her.
It brought her joy to hear someone as capable as Sylvia call her the “future empress.” In a palace where Alice had no one she could truly call a friend, Sylvia was both her competitor and her only true companion.
After getting scolded again, Sylvia would surely comfort Alice. That fact left a bitter taste in her mouth.
Lying in the luxurious bed of the finest suite the kingdom had provided, Alice absentmindedly stared at the ceiling. Her main guards were Lucas and Jayden, but honestly, Alice found those two far more uncomfortable to be around than Sylvia.
If she had some free time, maybe she could ask Sylvia to walk around the capital with her.
As she was pondering this—
Knock, knock.
A cautious knock at the door startled her, and she quickly sat up.
[Princess, may I come in for a moment?]
“W-What!?”
Alice jumped up at the words.
“W-Why, what is it!?”
She shouted in a panic. She had never received a visitor without Sylvia or someone else present. There were Imperial Guards outside, of course—wait, it must have been one of the guards who knocked. They were responsible for directly guarding the princess, after all.
But even so, she’d never been in a situation where she had to greet a guest alone. Since she had boarded the train at the last minute, her personal maid hadn’t been able to join her either.
[“Princess Charlotte of the Kingdom of Velbur requests an audience with you.”]
“P-Princess—ugh!”
Alice instinctively covered her mouth with her hand to stifle a gasp.
In terms of rank, the princess of the Kingdom of Velbur was not on the same level as a princess of the Fangriffon. Perhaps that’s why Princess Charlotte had come in person, having heard that the “real” imperial princess was in town. Though neither princesses nor queens held any executive power, they could still form bonds of friendship.
Social connections between nobility often led to practical alliances later. This was especially true for royal and imperial families. It would be far easier to communicate with someone you’ve met face-to-face, rather than a complete stranger.
Despite her lack of practical experience, Alice had received some political education and could recall information about the Princess of Velbur.
Princess Charlotte, like Alice, was an only child. She had a high chance of inheriting her country’s throne, and she was the same age as Alice and Sylvia.
“……Phew.”
Alice didn’t know why Charlotte had come to visit, but it wasn’t like she could refuse a princess who had come all this way.
Nervous as she was, Alice realized this was something she would have to handle on her own.
She recalled her recent conversation with Sylvia.
─ Always act with confidence, like a true heir to the throne.
Alice quickly glanced down at her clothes. Were there any wrinkles? Any stains? Luckily, there were a few creases, but nothing too noticeable.
She straightened her back, pushed her chest forward, and raised her chin slightly, imitating the posture she’d once seen a duchess assume.
And she put on an expression, just like Sylvia would.
After taking a few more deep breaths to calm herself, Alice finally spoke.
“Yes, let her in.”
Of course, her heart wasn’t as calm as Sylvia’s.