The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 98
EP.98 Proof (4)
“…It was because of Bella.”
At Claire’s words, Alice and I exchanged a quick glance.
Could it be that Leo and Claire were starting to suspect Bella’s true identity? I had thought Bella’s performance was flawless.
“Well, this might seem intrusive, but when we met Bella yesterday, we felt… something. We wanted to help her.”
It seemed Bella’s act had worked a little too well.
I could feel the tension ease slightly from Alice’s shoulders, which had been rigid moments ago.
“But we couldn’t find Bella, and somehow, our attention landed on you two instead.”
“Impressive that you recognized us.”
“Wouldn’t it be stranger if I didn’t?”
Claire smirked as she glanced my way. It seemed she was confident she could identify me without fail—Alice might have been trickier, but I apparently wasn’t.
No, thinking back to before I turned back time, when Alice, Claire, and Leo had all burst into the scene together, Claire must have recognized Alice right away. While Leo had hesitated and dismissed the thought with an “it couldn’t be,” Claire had likely been more direct.
“……”
The conversation paused briefly. There wasn’t any particular reason—it was just that a passing bunny girl had walked down the corridor. She glanced at Alice and me, our faces now exposed without masks, but didn’t seem too concerned and continued on her way. She’d probably noticed the pound notes still in my hand.
Wearing a mask wasn’t mandatory, but people in such outfits usually didn’t want to show their faces. If someone was paying them, though, revealing one’s face wasn’t out of the question.
“So, what’s your plan now?”
Claire spoke again, waiting until the woman had moved far enough away that her voice wouldn’t carry.
“…Even if I asked you to leave, you wouldn’t, right?”
“That’s right.”
Claire nodded at Alice’s words. Then shifted her gaze to Leo. He caught her look and returned a serious nod of his own.
“Sigh.”
Though Alice let out a deep sigh, she didn’t seem particularly annoyed.
“In that case, will you cooperate with me?”
At Alice’s proposal, Claire and Leo briefly exchanged glances before turning back to us and nodding.
“Fine.”
“With pleasure.”
Hearing their responses, Alice nodded in satisfaction.
“Good. The two of you aren’t just skilled—you’re Graces, after all.”
Then, she continued, her tone more resolute.
“According to the information I’ve gathered, there’s a spy hiding here.”
“A spy?”
At the word spy, Claire’s expression immediately grew more serious. The same went for Leo. Just moments ago, he had been too flustered to look at us directly, but now his gaze was fixed firmly on us.
Indeed, the Grace family. One of the Emperor’s most loyal houses.
“Yeah. But I’m not entirely sure what this spy is trying to accomplish. Considering their nationality, though, it’s probably related to the relics.”
Alice had arrived at a conclusion strikingly close to the truth, even though Bella hadn’t provided such detailed information. Then again, if one understood how the Papal State operated, the deduction wasn’t too difficult. The Empire’s intelligence agency wasn’t entirely clueless, after all.
“Relics?”
Claire and Leo, who didn’t have access to such sensitive information, looked understandably puzzled.
“…I’ll explain in detail later. For now, our priority is capturing the informant.”
“Do you know who they are?”
“Yes.”
Alice nodded confidently, her eyes burning with determination.
“I saw them just a moment ago. If we hurry, they might still be here. Leo, there’s something I need you to do.”
Leo blinked at Alice’s sudden call. Before he could respond, Alice snatched the pound notes still in my hand and pressed the now-cool bills into Leo’s palm.
“…I’ll be borrowing this.”
She glanced at Claire as she spoke. Claire seemed to understand what Alice meant and nodded silently.
…Hmm.
I understood the implication, but the thought that the money had been tucked into my chest earlier made me feel uneasy.
*
After that, the situation unfolded similarly to when I first arrived here.
In the original story, it was never clearly mentioned what Alice had been doing when Leo encountered her for the first time. Judging from how the subsequent narrative played out, she probably hadn’t achieved much.
But this time, there were more people to help. Particularly Leo, whose conspicuous maleness stood out in this setting.
“How about a drink?”
“…Shut up.”
Claire asked Leo, who was visibly tense, in a low voice. Unlike earlier, Claire was now wearing a mask. Not one she had acquired legitimately—apparently, she had swiped it after spotting someone drop it while stumbling around drunk.
Wearing the mask and unbuttoning a few buttons of her uniform to appear slightly more disheveled, Claire somehow managed to evoke a slight resemblance to her original counterpart in the story. Of course, her inherent sincerity couldn’t be completely hidden, so it was only a slight resemblance. Unless she let her hair down, that vibe would never fully manifest.
“There she is.”
“Oh, that person…”
Bunny girl Alice, now calm and composed with her mask back on, pointed to Chiara Verratti, and Claire muttered in surprise.
It was understandable. For someone with such a rough-looking first impression to turn out to be a member of the Knights Templar would be shocking to anyone unaware of the truth. Especially since the women in the Knights Templar were also nuns.
No one would expect someone like that to be dressed in a bunny girl outfit, glitter dusting her chest for added effect.
In that sense, the Papal State had picked the perfect person for the role. No other zealot would agree to such a position, but someone merely pretending to be devout would gladly take it. If it meant risking their life for the cause, they’d probably take on the job even more enthusiastically.
“……”
Believing this was Alice’s operation to lead, I stayed silent. After all, the only reason I’d agreed to endure being dressed like a bunny girl was to support Alice and follow her lead.
Well, at least we managed to identify the right person.
It’s reassuring that the Empire’s intelligence agency isn’t entirely incompetent. Or maybe Bella is just that skilled.
“What do you think? Can you do it?”
At Alice’s question, Leo—though his face was stiff with tension—nodded.
“Alright, then…”
Alice moved a little farther from Leo. I positioned myself a bit away from Alice, though close enough to rush to her side if necessary. Meanwhile, Claire stuck close to me.
…
Hmm.
It was an odd feeling.
Claire seemed intent on protecting me, and that left me feeling strangely unsettled. No matter how I looked at it, this kid—who felt significantly younger than me—trying to protect me was… well, strange.
Focus.
There’s a task at hand. I can deal with the unease later, all at once.
If things fail, I can always reset the time.
But why?
For some reason, I didn’t feel like resetting this moment. Even if Leo or one of us were to make a mistake.
With that lingering thought, I watched nervously as Leo awkwardly advanced, his right arm and leg moving forward simultaneously.
*
In the end, the operation was a success. However, Leo’s psyche seemed to have taken irreparable damage.
Imagine this: handing money to a bunny girl for her services, but your hands are trembling so much that you drop the money instead of sliding it between her chest. Then, she has to pick it up off the floor, her expression stiff as a board.
It must’ve been utterly humiliating.
I debated whether I should show him mercy by resetting time and giving him another chance. But I quickly dismissed the idea. Knowing Leo, he’d probably make the exact same mistake all over again. So I decided to let it slide.
Besides, it wasn’t entirely Leo’s fault.
The bills, having absorbed all the moisture from being tucked into my chest, were too damp to hold their shape. That was one of the reasons they couldn’t slide in smoothly. I suspect the dampness of the money also contributed to Chiara Verratti’s sour expression when she picked it up.
Still, perhaps she had already noticed our group trailing her, as she cooperated without much fuss and followed us quietly.
And so, after much maneuvering, we arrived back at the location I had visited before resetting the time.
The outfits and the one leading the conversation had changed, but the place remained the same.
“So, Your Highness, what brings you here in such an outfit?”
Chiara Verratti’s gaze briefly shifted toward me before she corrected herself.
“Or should I say, Your Highnesses?”