The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 88
EP.88 Information (2)
Still, Bella was a character who existed, at least as part of the backstory. Though she didn’t appear in the main plot since she’d already died by then, she occasionally appeared in flashbacks. The game developers had only provided a single illustration of her, without any 3D modeling.
She might be speaking in a soft voice now because there were people around, but in reality, she had a much gloomier personality. Her eyes were always half-closed, and she often had a sarcastic smile on her lips.
One thing that never changed was her habit of always exposing her cleavage. Even now, she was dressed like that. She wore a tight tank top and a very short jacket, leaving her cleavage completely exposed. Honestly, if someone wore that on the subway, it would be hard to know where to look out of embarrassment. By my standards, it was slightly embarrassing, but in this world, her outfit was almost unthinkably bold—especially for someone of her status as an imperial princess.
“Ah.”
Alice, returning after placing her order, made a face upon seeing Bella seated at our table. Bella didn’t seem to mind Alice’s reaction in the slightest.
This was the reason why the relationship between Claire and Alice didn’t easily improve in the original work. Alice, who had been the Emperor’s daughter from birth, grew up without any lack, despite the Emperor’s somewhat bizarre expressions of affection. She wore clothes made from the finest materials and ate meals made from high-quality ingredients. Although she worked hard, her background was more than enough to support her efforts.
But Claire wasn’t so fortunate. Sold to a brothel and subjected to all sorts of horrific experiences, Claire couldn’t fully empathize with Alice’s perspective and clashed with her on every issue. The other children of the Emperor were the same. None of them had lived as uniquely bleak a life as Claire. Bella, who had been through many hardships, was the only one who could empathize with Claire and befriend her.
It wasn’t surprising that by the time Claire entered the academy, she had become Bella 2.0. But here, instead of Claire being adopted as the Emperor’s daughter, I had taken that place. Whether it was due to their caution around me, or the fact that my presence rendered it unnecessary to send a false princess or prince into perilous situations, Bella had survived. I was the only major change in the timeline, so it was probably safe to assume she lived because of me.
“…Why are you here?”
Alice asked as she sat down, her tone suggesting she wasn’t particularly thrilled. Bella, still resting her chin on her hands, gave a nonchalant shrug.
“To see my little sisters after a long time?”
“That can’t be the reason. We’re not that close.”
“Oh, how cold.”
Bella sighed, feigning disappointment. Her gesture was exaggerated enough to make it obvious she wasn’t genuinely hurt.
“Even if you and I aren’t particularly close, our adorable youngest here and I get along just fine.”
“You and Sylvia?”
“…”
I remained silent, watching their conversation. It didn’t seem like my intervention would stop their argument, nor did I think their verbal sparring would escalate to a dangerous level.
“Why, isn’t it true? Sylvia hardly interacts with anyone else. I think it’s fair to say that we have a close relationship, don’t you?”
“If that’s how you see it, then I—”
“Isn’t it a bit simplistic to think that just because you’re close to someone, they can’t be close to others as well? Human relationships can overlap in all sorts of ways.”
“That’s not something I’d expect to hear from you, considering how much you despise forming connections with others.”
I turned my gaze toward the waitress, who had been dozing off at her post since we first entered the café. With so few customers, there wasn’t much for her to do, which might explain why Alice didn’t bother waiting for her earlier and went directly to the counter.
“Instead of beating around the bush, why don’t you just tell me your purpose? Going in circles will only take you further from the point.”
I said, turning back to Bella.
“What, trying to act like a protective sister now? If we’re being honest, it seems more like you’re the one who needs protecting, not the one doing the protecting.”
“….”
Alice glared at Bella, but I broke the tension by speaking slowly.
“So, what business brings you here?”
“Isn’t it obvious…?”
“If you’d truly wanted to bond, you could’ve visited me at the Academy or elsewhere. You came because there’s something you need to convey, didn’t you? Lucas doesn’t show up either unless he has something to discuss.”
“…Did Lucas say something to you?”
“He once mentioned he planned to kill me.”
“What?”
Bella asked, stunned, while Alice looked outraged.
Seeing Bella’s reaction, it seemed that Lucas had left the Emperor’s side right after talking with me in Winterfield. After all, if Lucas were still there, there would be no reason for Bella to come looking for me.
“…Lucas said that? Really? He wants to kill you?”
Bella looked genuinely taken aback, a rare expression for her, and I felt I’d made the right call bringing this up.
“And for what reason?”
Alice, equally skeptical, waited for an explanation, but I simply shifted my gaze slightly toward Bella.
“….”
Perhaps understanding the meaning behind my look, Bella and Alice both fell silent for a moment.
“…Hah.”
Bella sighed deeply, the table shaking under the weight of her breath.
“Fine. When I think about it, I can guess why he said that.”
She ran her hand through her hair, looking weary.
“Looks like things are about to get hectic.”
She muttered, as if to show she was serious, and continued speaking without delay.
“You know about the casino near Northwood, right?”
“Yeah, the Empire’s largest casino, built after clearing out a section of the forest.”
Of course, I knew about it.
And hearing talk about that casino just as we entered June triggered a memory as well.
“Did the Holy Kingdom’s forces infiltrate the casino?”
“…The Holy Kingdom’s forces…”
Bella, who had started speaking at almost the same time, paused when our voices overlapped.
“You… knew?”
She asked.
I didn’t respond. Alice, with her mouth slightly agape, simply stared at me.
“Do you also know who infiltrated?”
“Isn’t it a knight from the Knights Templar?”
“If you say a knight from the Knights Templar, it’s not clear who it could be. There aren’t many of them, but that still doesn’t narrow it down.”
Bella said, probing for more.
“If you want someone who won’t be suspected by anyone, it would be best to send in someone who wouldn’t normally be suspected.”
Bella tilted her head, signaling me to continue.
“All the female knights of the Knights Templar are also nuns at the same time. So, if you dress one of them in a very provocative outfit and send her in, ordinary people wouldn’t even notice that she is a knight of the Holy Kingdom.”
After all, that’s what happened in the original. No one would assume that a woman dressed as a bunny girl could be a nun. Besides, her personality didn’t exactly scream “nun,” either.
“…And?”
Bella’s expression turned uncharacteristically serious, urging me on.
“But a devout Knights Templar would have a strong aversion to such irreligious behavior, and the Holy Kingdom wouldn’t want to upset such a valuable knight. So, the one who first thought of such an idea would have to be a knight with a unique character to begin with.”
And there was only one crazy female character among the Knights Templar. Well, most of the Knights Templar were crazy zealots. But there was one who was crazy in a different sense.
“So, who do you think it is?”
Bella asked.
“Eliza, isn’t it?”
Bella’s expression hardened slightly at my answer. Alice, still in shock, hadn’t closed her mouth.
Of course, that would be the reaction. It was fresh information that the Empire had just obtained. In the original, this information had come by sheer coincidence. It was no wonder they would be taken aback, seeing me reveal it as if I’d known it all along.
“…I think I’m starting to understand why Lucas said he would kill you.”
Well, it wasn’t for that reason that he said he would kill me, but it was true that he wanted to because of my abilities.
I said nothing, glancing instead toward the waitress, who had finally awakened and begun moving. As she approached with two parfaits, Bella refrained from asking further questions, though she eyed me with a certain suspicion.
…Good.
I supposed there was no need to completely abandon the allure of my “mystique” just yet.