The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 95
EP.95 Proof (1)
Lately, I’d been feeling constantly reminded that the world doesn’t revolve around me. Even if I try to avoid unpleasant situations by bypassing certain stories, the characters continue to act on their own, following the paths they were set upon.
Just as Alice had felt provoked by Claire’s involvement with her in the original storyline and infiltrated the casino dressed as a bunny girl, this time too, Alice had been driven to do the same—motivated by Bella. That conversation with Bella yesterday must have stirred something deep within her. Bella, after all, embodied the perfect image of a “woman with a story”: someone who once had dreams but was now weighed down by harsh realities. If I hadn’t known better, I’d probably have been deceived myself.
Bella’s reason for approaching us then must have partly been to provoke me—and, perhaps, to tease Alice while she was at it. Her plan worked perfectly: I’d charged straight ahead, ignoring the usual steps, and Alice had taken it upon herself to put on a bunny outfit and infiltrate the casino. As for who provided her with the outfit, that didn’t even require a second thought. It had to be Bella.
Bang!
“Huh!”
As I barged into the room, Alice, holding a piece of blue fabric, gasped. She hadn’t even put on the stockings yet.
“Were you planning to leave here dressed like that?”
“What, w-what!?”
My direct question caught Alice off guard; she seemed ready to deny it but then looked down at the outfit in her hands and quickly hid it behind her back. I stepped fully into Alice’s room and closed the door.
“Walking out like that would draw far too much attention.”
“I—I know that!”
She finally admitted, sighing as if she’d given up on hiding the truth.
Her hands drooped, and the fabric and stockings slipped toward the floor. A glance around the room revealed a mask and bunny-ear headband lying on the desk.
“I was just going to wear it under my clothes and remove the outer layer when I got there…”
“……”
But she couldn’t hold up under my silent gaze. Her face flushed, and she lowered her head, looking strangely defeated.
I thought the confidence I had instilled in her since childhood had made Alice much more self-assured than in the original story, but it seemed that wasn’t the case.
I held back a sigh, worried that showing any reaction might crush her self-esteem even further.
“Let’s sit down and talk first.”
I said, gesturing to the bed.
“Once we’ve discussed this, you can decide if you still want to go through with it.”
“…Okay.”
Without any resistance, Alice took a seat on the bed. She probably realized, even to herself, that her plan wasn’t exactly fitting for a princess.
Watching her sink onto the bed, I turned toward a nearby chair, but then thought better of it. Instead, I sat down beside her.
Of course, I didn’t sit close enough for our bodies to touch. I left a bit of space, enough to feel near but not too distant.
“First, please explain why you were planning to go out in that outfit.”
I said, looking at Alice’s hands.
She started to turn toward me, attempting some sort of excuse.
“Well, it’s not like I was going to actually go out dressed like—”
But she stopped when she met my eyes, falling silent.
“It’s just… it felt like I wasn’t doing anything.”
She finally admitted, after muttering a bit.
“Not doing anything?”
“When we went on the field training in Winterfield, I was just completing requests with my friends, nice and easy, wasn’t I?”
“You did exactly what was expected of you as a student.”
“But… you, on the other hand, were out there accomplishing incredible feats. Enough that no one would’ve questioned awarding you a medal right then and there.”
“……”
That… was true. While my actions hadn’t directly affected the mission goals and could’ve easily cost me points, the merit of what I’d done had been too significant to ignore. Jennifer had given me full marks, acknowledging the value of my achievements. And receiving a medal wasn’t out of the question, either.
“What I did was simply what I was meant to do—”
“What you were meant to do?”
Alice interrupted, her voice pressing.
“What exactly is that?”
She continued.
“As a princess, the same as me, what’s your duty?”
“……”
Alice was staring straight at me. Although we were sitting side by side, she had turned her body toward me, looking at me with a strange intensity.
I had felt this atmosphere once before. When I was accepted into the Academy, the Emperor had initially planned to send me to the northern battlefront instead. But Alice had been furious, storming into my room, finding the morphine hidden away, and then confronting the Emperor herself to make sure I was sent to the Academy.
That same energy was radiating from her now.
“Father… doesn’t distinguish between you and me, or between Bella and me, or Lucas and Jayden. You know that.”
Alice said, clenching her fist tightly, the fabric crumpling in her grip.
“But when he heard you say that you considered me the next Emperor, he didn’t object. Not because he believes in my abilities, but because he trusts you more. Isn’t that right?”
Was that the kind of conversation I had with the Emperor back then?
…Indeed, seeing how the Emperor treated me, he might have prioritized my judgment over Alice’s will.
“Let me ask you something. Last year, I thought it was just because you acknowledged me, so I didn’t think much about it… but why do you think I should be the next Emperor?”
“……”
“What did you see in me to think I should be the next Emperor? My abilities? My character? Or was it just my bloodline? Or my usefulness? Do you think I will do something beneficial for you in the future?”
What did I see in Alice to think, ‘I will make her the Emperor’?
The answer was simple, almost embarrassingly so. I liked Alice.
It wasn’t just Alice. I felt the same way about Chronicles of Aetherna and every other character who had been part of the original story. I liked them all.
The kindness I showed Alice was no different from the warmth I showed Claire. They were characters I’d adored even before arriving in this world.
Honestly, it would be a lie to say I didn’t feel a thrill the first time we met.
I had been caught up in urgent matters, facing enemies and considering numerous factors, which made it difficult to focus on everything else. However, the first feeling I had when I met Alice was simple: “I was happy.”
When I met Claire, I was scared. I knew if I stayed there, I would eventually face the same fate that Claire had in the original story. When I met Alice, while I felt joy at meeting her, I was also afraid of the Emperor and annoyed by Lucas, who constantly harassed me.
Yet, despite all that, the excitement of being part of the story couldn’t be completely erased. The reason I was so active within that world was because I truly wanted those characters to survive.
“……”
But strangely, I couldn’t just say “because I like it.” Even though I thought there was no harm in saying it—just saying it, and then being able to retract it if I felt embarrassed—it still felt like something I shouldn’t do.
“There you go.”
However, Alice seemed to interpret my silence differently. Instead of looking disappointed or sad, she wore an expression of relief, as if she felt unburdened.
I didn’t understand that expression, and it confused me.
“Then, let me prove it.”
Alice said, looking at me with a determined expression.
“I’ll prove that I have the ability to sit on the throne. I’m not just someone who needs your protection, but someone worthy of protecting you.”
“……”
“I’m not just someone who claims to be your sister, but someone who can truly stand by you as your sister. I want the chance to prove that.”
“……I…”
“Yeah, maybe you already know everything. I get that this might sound forced. That it’s not something a sister should say. But….”
Alice tightened her fist, holding it with determination.
“But… I want to do it.”
She just wanted to do it, because she wanted to.
If I looked deeper into it, I would realize that this was just a selfish request, without much logic behind it, a request for personal satisfaction.
But—
“…Alright.”
In the end, I realized I was moving with the same mindset.
“Instead, I’ll accompany you. Your Highness… no, Alice, you can move as you see fit. I’ll follow and help when necessary.”
“That’s….”
“The Emperor doesn’t act alone. It’s fine to have someone to command.”
If she was going to do something, I hoped it would be within my sight.
It’s an important event, after all.
“……”
Alice just stared at me, her expression blank.
It was understandable. At this moment, unlike usual, I wasn’t carefully controlling my expression.