It might have been better if we hadn’t brought Claire with us when we came to the student council.

Two princesses, and one royal princess. Isn’t that a group no one would find strange? The children of those who stand at the pinnacle of a nation. Even if one of them didn’t share the same blood, who could possibly raise an objection?

But then, when a ‘Baron’s daughter’ is mixed in, the hierarchy becomes odd.

Honestly, it wasn’t something to worry about too much. If someone among us had a sharp sense, or if there was someone who had been around high-ranking nobles and knew the ropes, they would have understood how to treat the baron’s daughter and her brother.

For example—

“Ah, Your Highnesses, and the royal princess.”

Just like the student council president who just entered.

The nobleman who stepped in with neatly cut golden hair was none other than someone from the Granchester Ducal family, known to be second only to the imperial family in nobility. In fact, they were the family with the most imperial blood flowing through their veins, aside from the royal family itself.

The most famous person in the royal family was, of course, the Emperor and Alice. That’s not to say there weren’t others in the imperial family. Some lived in more secluded parts of the central power structure, while others held honorary positions, living like high-ranking civil servants.

They all knew how to lie low.

Among the ducal and count families, those who didn’t know how to stay out of trouble often found their names on the Emperor’s kill list or ended up assassinated. But the imperial family knew better how to stay cautious due to their status.

Even in the game, there were times when members of the imperial family appeared as extras, typically spouting clueless lines. But occasionally, they would reveal that they were carefully treading lightly without even realizing they were doing so, asking the player to keep it a secret.

Of course, they wouldn’t actually spill their thoughts like that. It was just a way for the game to convey the situation.

“And… the Grays family.”

Just as he had greeted Alice, Charlotte, and me, the student council president smiled politely and greeted the children of the Grays family with equal respect.

In fact, that was the reason for the silence earlier. Not knowing the names or personalities of the Grays’ children, no one had dared to approach them. They might wield more power than they appeared to, having been brought here by the princess herself.

As mentioned before, in noble society, it’s considered rude for someone of lower status to speak first to someone of higher status. So, there were plenty of reasons why the student council room had been quiet.

“I apologize for keeping you waiting. I had some business to attend to.”

His words seemed genuine. The student council president was, in fact, busy. Even though he had sent out invitations, he couldn’t have known exactly when we would arrive.

“It’s no problem. We didn’t wait too long.”

“Hmm.”

When Alice responded, the student council president squinted briefly before quickly reverting to his usual expression.

Alice probably used formal language out of respect for the president as a senior, even though she typically treated fellow students as equals.

The president’s eyes lingered on Alice, then moved to Charlotte, and finally to me. His gaze stayed on each of us for only a moment. As for Claire and Leo... rather than looking at them, his eyes merely brushed past.

“It’s an honor that you responded so quickly to the invitation. How do you find the tea?”

“Is it from the salon? It’s the same as what the royal family uses. You must have put a lot of thought into this, even for the student council.”

I honestly had no idea.

No matter how many times I went back and tasted it again, I couldn’t tell where the tea leaves were from. Maybe if I had listened to the conversation and returned, I could figure it out, but just by tasting it? Not a chance.

This was another reason I played the role of a quiet person. It saved me the effort of wasting time exposing unnecessary information.

“The leaves are from our estate. I’m glad they suit your taste. However...”

The student council president’s gaze finally lingered on the children of the Grays family.

“May I ask what your relationship with Her Highness and the others is?”

Now, even Claire and Leo’s eyes were on Alice.

Yeah, what is our relationship?

It hadn’t even been a week since we met, and while we had exchanged conversations, it wasn’t as if we were particularly close.

Alice brought the Grays siblings along simply because Charlotte mentioned that it would be interesting.

“We’re friends.”

But Alice answered without hesitation.

Claire’s eyes sparkled as she looked at Alice, and Alice seemed a little taken aback.

Somehow, it felt like their roles were reversed.

… Not that I disliked it.

In fact, didn’t it balance out? Alice had nothing to envy about Claire, and Claire didn’t envy Alice for having parents.

It felt like any potential conflict was resolved before it even started.

And honestly, it looked good from where I was standing. You know, like in fan fiction, where you flip relationships or even gender roles. If this game had more female characters, I probably would have cringed at the gender swapping, but this kind of role reversal didn’t seem so bad.

“Ah, I see.”

But it didn’t seem like the student council president fully believed it.

Maybe he had already grasped the intentions of Alice and Charlotte to some extent. After all, he had grown up with proper noble education, attending social events like a true aristocrat.

“So then...”

The student council president walked leisurely to his seat.

Then, with a calm demeanor, he sat down.

“Do you know why we sent you the invitation?”

“Wasn’t it to invite us to join the student council?”

“That’s right.”

The president smiled at Alice’s straightforwardness.

In noble circles, there was no reason to dislike someone who spoke so plainly. They often revealed their weaknesses without even realizing it.

As long as that person wasn’t Alice.

“Do you have any interest in joining?”

That question undoubtedly included Claire and Leo. In the original storyline, Leo was also offered an invitation to join the council after tagging along with Alice, so it seemed like this scene had come a little earlier.

Back then, Alice and the student council president were engaged in a power struggle. At least, that wasn’t the case at this point.

“May I ask what positions are available in the student council?”

“What positions are—”

But the president’s invitation was interrupted.

Knock, knock.

There was a knock at the student council room door.

“Would you mind if I answered?”

The president asked politely.

When Alice nodded, the president also nodded toward a female student.

The person outside the door must have been someone the president had called in advance—

… But it wasn’t.

“Oh.”

The president’s eyes widened slightly, as if someone unexpected had arrived.

It wouldn’t be strange for another high-ranking noble to show up, considering the invitation wasn’t exclusive to us.

But the issue was,

“Lady Crowfield.”

Yes, the person the smiling student council president addressed was Mia Crowfield.

For a noblewoman from an earl’s family, she didn’t seem particularly well-maintained. But as a high-ranking noble, she didn’t appear entirely unkempt either.

However, her black hair, which should have gleamed if properly cared for, looked a bit dry. Some strands at the ends were slightly tangled.

And the most eerie part of her appearance was the long bangs loosely covering her face.

You know that ghost from the Japanese horror movie Sadako?

Her hairstyle made her look like she might crawl out of a black-and-white TV screen at any moment.

If this were just normal Earth, rather than a game-based world, I’d bet that underneath those bangs was an acne-ridden, greasy face that hadn’t been properly cared for.

But under Mia Crowfield’s hair was the face of a delicate, pure beauty.

“I received... the invitation...”

Her weak voice sounded so gloomy that, even after more than ten years, I could still recognize it immediately. It wasn’t a bad voice, just... distinct in its melancholy.

“Yes, I sent it.”

The president, who had been speaking formally to us, instantly shifted his tone. Not that he was being rude—it was more like a boss addressing an employee, as if it was only natural.

“Oh, but...”

“It’s alright.”

Before the president could say anything apologetic, Alice interrupted.

“There’s no harm in her joining the conversation, is there?”

“I suppose not...”

We were discussing joining the student council, so it didn’t seem like a problem for Mia Crowfield to be part of the conversation if she had come for the same reason.

It wasn’t a problem for them, but...

It was a bit of a problem for me.

Uh, did Mia Crowfield ever come to the student council in the original story?

Her grades were decent, and the Crowfield earldom hadn’t fallen. The head of the family had passed away, but the estate remained intact, and no crimes were revealed. The Emperor’s assassination order was purely political, not an act of justice.

If anything, Mia’s value might have increased since her family’s land and power remained untouched. Once she graduated from the academy or dropped out, she could marry and take control of the estate.

Sure, there’s always the option of wooing the Countess, but someone of her rank wouldn’t fall for such obvious schemes.

Even though her face was hidden, I could see her eyes through the strands of hair. Naturally, she had to look ahead, so when she glanced in my direction, part of her eyes became visible.

And I’m certain that Mia Crowfield and I locked eyes.

She even stared at me for a while.

“...”

It didn’t matter how much information Crowfield had. After the Earl’s death, the Emperor surely made a deal with the Countess. As long as she kept quiet about what happened, they would turn a blind eye to everything.

Stay quiet and don’t challenge the Emperor politically. Otherwise, next time it would be her head.

And if she agreed to that deal, she’d harbor deep resentment toward the Emperor.

That resentment would be passed down through generations. Parents would teach their children to hate the enemy, but wouldn’t explain how they became vulnerable in the first place.

If the Crowfields followed that pattern, Mia Crowfield would undoubtedly harbor intense ill will toward me.

If she had done her research, she would’ve heard the rumors about the Emperor’s children.

“...Huh?”

Alice’s gaze flickered between me and Mia Crowfield. She must have noticed something, given how intently Mia was staring at me.

“...Are those people...”

“Hmm?”

The student council president seemed a bit surprised by Mia’s sudden question.

She hadn’t paid proper respects to the princess or the royal family, nor had she greeted the president.

“Are those people... also joining the student council?”

“...”

Her gloomy, somewhat unclear voice made her intent difficult to discern, but I had a feeling I understood.

Did she want to join the same club as me?

...Was she trying to get closer to me?

I looked at Mia Crowfield’s face once again.

This time, we definitely locked eyes.

And if my guess was right, Mia Crowfield was glaring at me.