The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 97
EP.97 Proof (3)
Claire was far more intimidating than I had expected, while Leo was considerably more gentlemanly than I’d thought.
Well, I’d seen enough of Leo’s personality in the original story. That infuriating harem-protagonist quality he had—a courteous restraint that perfectly matched the gentlemanly ideals of this era. He’d never touch a lady without permission, and even when he needed to, he did it as gently as possible.
As for Alice, I could only see the back of her head as she walked ahead of me, but the glimpses of her ears poking out, flushed red, made it clear that she was on the verge of dying from embarrassment. Every time she and Leo passed by, envious glances from men trailed after them.
Of course, even if someone ran after a bunny girl out of desire, it was unlikely to be out of any genuine love. They were typically interested because the men here reeked of wealth, and although those men knew this perfectly well, few would refuse such a ‘service’ from a bunny girl.
On the other hand, despite Alice’s face being half-hidden by a mask, her visible embarrassment was almost painfully sincere. It was not the look of an experienced, worldly servant who’d been through the wringer, but rather the unguarded innocence of someone young and sheltered. Leo, with his youthful, attractive looks befitting the game’s protagonist, only made Alice’s reaction seem all the more genuine.
To anyone watching, they probably looked like a scene out of a fantasy novel: a “bashful maiden who’d fallen for a gallant young gentleman.” Yeah, from a guy’s perspective, it might be envy-worthy. Even if, technically, they were both underage. Meanwhile, I seemed to be attracting more attention from the women around. Most likely, it was out of pity.
While most of the men walked around with their faces bare, the women nearly all concealed their faces with fans or half-masks like the bunny girls. Gambling wasn’t strictly forbidden for women, but it wasn’t exactly encouraged either.
And even through those masks, I could feel their sympathetic gazes.
Unlike Leo, who didn’t lay a hand on Alice while guiding her, Claire was firmly gripping my wrist and pulling me along. Moreover, while Alice’s chest was clean and empty, my chest had something wedged in it that anyone could see as ‘payment.’
People vary, but yes, there are homosexuals in this world too. Men who prefer men, and women who prefer women. And just as some wealthy men are willing to pay high sums for the attention of certain female servants, there are also women who pay a lot of money for the company of the bunny girls. Perhaps, most of the women who looked at me with pity were thinking the same thing.
…Should I reset the time?
Should I just go back to the beginning and try to convince Alice again?
As I walked, being pulled along by Claire, I seriously considered it, but eventually gave up on the idea.
Yeah. Well.
I came along because Alice wanted it so much. I knew it would be embarrassing from the start, so who could I blame?
Resigning myself to fate, I decided to follow Claire without a second thought. Thankfully, this sort of empty, Zen-like state of mind was great for keeping a blank expression.
*
“So, you came all the way here like that just to gather information?”
Claire asked in disbelief, making Alice’s face flush an even deeper red.
We were standing in a secluded corner of the building. Claire and Leo had dragged us into a quiet hallway where few other guests wandered, and now the two of them stood before us, arms crossed.
Claire, bold as ever, wasn’t even wearing a mask.
I, however, didn’t dare point that out—not because I was scared of her, but because the sheer embarrassment of the situation was crushing me. If I tried to speak now, I was certain my voice would crack.
Alice and I had removed our masks and now held them in our hands. I was making an immense effort not to fidget with the black half-mask in my grasp, while Alice, unable to meet anyone’s gaze, was already nervously fiddling with her white half-mask.
“…Someone who might have the information we need infiltrated this place as a servant.” Alice finally managed to say, her voice barely above a whisper.
Claire sighed, dragging a hand down her face.
“Was it really necessary to infiltrate dressed like that? You could have entered as a guest, like us.”
“……”
Now this was interesting.
In the original story, the reason Alice ended up in the bunny girl outfit was mostly because of Claire.
Claire had once said something along the lines of, “I’m out here risking my neck in the field, and all you do is sit around.” That remark had infuriated Alice, pushing her to impulsively infiltrate the casino in the exact same way as Claire.
But here? It wasn’t Claire who provoked her—it was Bella. In a way, it was a sign that Alice was beginning to truly acknowledge Bella as her sister. Seeing Bella, a fellow imperial princess, actively working on-site must have made Alice feel that she, as another princess, couldn’t just stay behind the scenes. It was eerily reminiscent of the feelings Alice harbored toward Claire in the original story. In a sense, Alice was still remarkably consistent.
“Say something, will you?”
Claire said suddenly, turning to Leo.
“Uh, me?”
Leo, who had been avoiding looking at us by counting the lights on the ceiling, flinched at being addressed. He glanced toward Claire, then hesitated, briefly turning his eyes in our direction before swiftly returning his gaze to its original spot.
“……”
Claire sighed again, dragging a hand over her face once more.
In the original story, Leo hadn’t recognized Alice immediately during their “first meeting” in this setting. It had taken him until the second night to grow suspicious after noticing her absence from evening briefings, at which point he’d gone searching for her. So, really, his awkward reaction wasn’t all that strange.
“And you.”
“…Yes?”
I reluctantly turned my eyes to meet Claire’s fiery gaze, which seemed to burn with barely contained frustration.
“Why are you dressed like that?”
Hmm.
Something about the atmosphere suggested that responding with, “Why shouldn’t I?” would be an incredibly bad idea.
As I’d been dragged along by Claire earlier, I’d already spent some time pondering why she was so furious.
The orphanage where Claire and I had grown up had been that sort of place. She might not have known back then, but through investigating while looking for me, she must have found out later on. So, to be blunt, seeing me in attire suggestive of a profession that “sold one’s body” would not have sat well with her.
“It’s my fault.”
Before I could make any excuses, Alice spoke up first.
“I was the one who insisted on infiltrating this place. So… she only dressed like this to protect me.”
“Well, be that as it may.”
Fortunately, Claire seemed to understand. Alice was one of the few people who knew me well enough to read my expression, and Claire, having observed us closely, must have seen the truth in Alice’s words.
“Then where did you even get those outfits?”
“Well, that’s…”
This time, Alice fell silent, unable to answer.
The one who had meticulously prepared these bunny girl outfit for us was none other than Bella. She’d nudged us into wearing them, only to disappear without a trace—no doubt hoping to enjoy watching the spectacle from afar.
Now that I thought about it, even before I’d turned back time, I hadn’t seen much of her. Judging by how close she had gotten to Chiara Verratti, Bella had likely been lurking nearby… quietly observing us.
…Could she be leisurely watching us from afar?
“So, what brings you here all of a sudden?”
Alice asked Claire, her tone a bit more direct now that the question was directed elsewhere.
“And, Claire, why aren’t you wearing a mask?”
“What?”
Claire, who had been so confident moments ago, suddenly looked caught off guard.
“Before that, answer my—”
“Outfits like these are easy enough to find. Honestly, do you think anyone here working in this kind of attire would openly disclose their past with pride?”
“……”
“If I wanted to work here, all I’d need to do is put on an outfit like this. Nobody handing out these costumes cares who I am, and they’d never guess I was a princess. They’d just think I resemble one.”
Though her explanation was a bit forced, it wasn’t entirely implausible. Who would ever think that someone claiming to work here as a servant could actually be a princess? They’d dismiss it as a coincidence, finding the resemblance interesting at most.
“Alright then, satisfied? So now explain yourself. Leo might not need to, but—”
At Alice’s words, Leo looked a bit hurt, but she ignored his reaction and pressed on, addressing Claire.
“—but why are you, a woman, wandering around here without even covering your face? And what was that earlier, shoving money down Sylvia’s chest like it was nothing?”
“……”
At that, I glanced down, realizing there were still a few pound notes wedged between my breasts. I quickly moved to pull the bills out, intending to return them to Claire, but stopped. Considering how damp and warm these bills were, handing them back now would be rather awkward, wouldn’t it?
And then Claire, too, wore a complicated expression.