The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 92
EP.92 A Woman with a Story (2)
A theme park-like area centered around the casino, designed for adults to enjoy, still had spots where one could experience an ordinary lifestyle. Sure, some people came here literally to throw their fortunes away, but many tourists also visited simply to enjoy the casino’s dazzling streets. Especially for those from the upper class who weren’t into gambling but liked traveling, it wasn’t uncommon to stay in luxurious hotels and enjoy the festivals here with their partners.
On the other hand, many who worked here weren’t wealthy by any means—especially in service jobs like waitstaff. So, there were regular eateries and even simpler cafes around to cater to the workers in the area.
The place Bella led us to was one of those spots. It was a shabby restaurant located on a rundown street, slightly away from the main casino area.
“Hey, Bella! I told you not to bring customers here!” A green-haired bunny girl sitting in the restaurant scowled at Bella. Though dressed as a bunny girl, her outfit was wrinkled, her hair was disheveled, and the bunny ear headband lay discarded on the table. Her face and chest had traces of glitter, indicating she’d likely just finished an all-night shift.
“Ah, sorry… But I really wanted to treat the people who helped me.”
Bella murmured apologetically, and I was somewhat surprised by her meekness. Her demeanor suited her more than I’d expected. Sure, I knew her backstory, but if I hadn’t, I might have simply seen her as another character with a hidden past. …Well, maybe not, since there had been clues in her previous conversation with Alice that hinted she had an ulterior motive.
“You’re treating people who can easily pay for their own meals… fine, whatever.”
The green-haired woman scratched her head roughly and then spoke with a resigned expression.
“Well, there are more women than men among the people you brought, so I guess it doesn’t matter to me. Judging by their clothes, they seem to be noble students. They can’t do anything because of school rules anyway, right?”
Having said her piece, the woman promptly lost interest in us. In a place like this, that was just how people coped. This was a place where people who had fallen to rock bottom ended up working. In fact, some parts of the Empire were even rougher than this. In that sense, Northwood was doing a decent job of maintaining order here, though those who lived here might not see it that way.
“Sorry about her. She may talk like that, but she has a kind heart…”
But before Bella could finish her sentence, the green-haired woman raised a hand over her shoulder, flashing a V sign at us—palm facing away. It was a gesture widely recognized as a British insult now famous worldwide.
Lena, who often encountered Imperial soldiers, and Charlotte, from the neighboring country that had its own squabbles with the Empire, both seemed to recognize it as an insult and furrowed their brows.
“Haha…”
Bella let out an awkward laugh before quickly inviting us to sit.
“Please, have a seat.”
Even though we, the protagonist’s party, were known for sticking our noses into things, we knew better than to provoke Bella’s coworker. The last thing we wanted was to make Bella’s life harder by offending her, so we quietly took our seats.
…Not that something like this would really trouble Bella. Among us here, only Alice and I, both imperial princesses, knew her true identity.
I had been with Alice most of the time and didn’t particularly hide my public appearances, so my face was fairly well-known. But Bella’s situation was different. Bella was also an official princess, so the nobles knew of her existence, but she never showed her face at official events.
The Emperor’s children who frequently appeared at official events were Jayden, Lucas, and me, while Bella and the youngest child handled tasks that required keeping their faces hidden. Even within the palace, Bella would disguise herself or wear a mask to avoid recognition, so it was no surprise Charlotte wasn’t aware of her.
This division of roles wasn’t created by the Emperor. It just happened naturally according to each person’s personality. Bella thought that hiding her identity would allow her to have more fun.
“…Does this kind of thing happen to you often?”
Charlotte asked sincerely.
While the situation stemmed from issues within the Empire, it wasn’t unique to it; places like gambling dens or opium houses existed everywhere, including Velbur. Thinking that similar occurrences could happen back home, Charlotte might have felt some personal involvement here.
“Not often, but it does happen.”
Bella replied.
“….”
Charlotte, being a person of principle, likely had the earlier situation on her mind, especially after muttering about how crude it was.
Then the mood grew somber.
“What would you like to eat?”
The owner casually broke the heavy atmosphere by asking.
The owner, who had approached our table, wore very old clothes. A dirty apron stained in various places and clothes with holes. Whether he had money to buy new clothes but chose not to, or he was too frugal, was unclear. Considering the cracked window we saw when we entered, it might be the latter.
“What’s good here?”
Charlotte asked Bella in a gentle tone. Normally, Charlotte would have been horrified by the state of the inn and its owner’s appearance, but given our reason for being here, she set such judgments aside. After all, nobles were expected to show appreciation for genuine acts of goodwill.
“Ah, please bring us chicken stew, one for each of us.”
Bella replied.
“Huh?”
The owner looked at Bella blankly.
“Got the cash for all that?”
“I—I can cover that much!”
Bella stammered, glancing at our group nervously.
Watching her, I felt a hint of admiration. If she’d been born twenty years later, she could have made an unforgettable actress in cinema history. Though, knowing her personality, it was hard to say if she would’ve ever taken up such a career.
The owner shrugged his shoulders, counted our heads, and turned around.
“Are you sure this is alright?”
Claire asked, sounding worried.
“It’s fine. I have enough money for this…”
Bella replied, just as the air seemed ready to fall heavy again.
“But anyway, who was that guy, really?”
“He’s the one who approached me, saying he found me interesting. He told a few jokes, so I laughed along to keep him happy. I guess he thought I was serious…”
“Did you come to us to get away from him?”
Alice, finally deciding to join the act, spoke up.
“Yes… I’m sorry. I didn’t think things would get so tense.”
Though, in truth, Bella had likely aimed to stir things up this way from the start.
“Any reason why you approached us specifically? There were plenty of other people around.”
“Well…”
Bella spoke as if she was very embarrassed.
“When I approach other nobles, they either look at me in disgust and leave, or they try to take me along with them. It’s usually one of the two.”
Charlotte’s shoulders twitched. Her expression didn’t break, but it was clear she was affected.
“You all are students at Runedarium Academy, aren’t you?”
Bella asked, glancing at Leo. Leo, looking slightly taken aback, stammered for a moment before blurting out the obvious.
“H-How did you know?”
“Because the uniforms you’re wearing are from Runedarium Academy. I was there for a short time too. I saw many students wearing the same uniform near the academy.”
She didn’t say the cliché line about admiring the academy as a child, but that made her words feel even more genuine. Of course, those words were probably fabricated too.
“So… when I saw you students, I thought… maybe you’d be willing to help me. I’m really sorry…”
The atmosphere grew unbearably heavy again, but there was one person whose expression was even more complicated.
It was Alice.
She’d declared her intention to “go undercover,” meaning Bella, standing before her, was essentially her role model.
The problem was that Bella’s acting skills were too high for an amateur to imitate.
…And perhaps I’d have to pull off a similar vibe too.
A poker-faced bunny girl might be popular in its own way. But could I really stay expressionless in a bunny outfit?
Not long after, the chicken stew arrived.
Despite the place’s rundown vibe, the chicken stew was genuinely delicious. Perhaps picking this spot had been the one part that wasn’t just an act.