The moment I looked into Crowfield's eyes, one thought came to mind:

How much does she know?

Given the Emperor's personality, it wouldn't be surprising if he fully revealed his involvement. After all, flaunting his power and making it known was part of his style.

“I took care of your husband. So, if you want you and your daughter to remain safe, do as I say.”

In this era, recording devices are far too large and inefficient. While magic stones can act as power sources, they can’t replace all the other components of a recording device. So even if the Emperor had openly said such things, it wouldn’t be something that could be recorded as evidence.

Magic isn’t all-powerful. At least, in all the time I played the game, I never saw anything like a wiretapping device, even though there were plenty of political and legal discussions happening.

“...”

Both Alice and Charlotte could sense hostility. Things like killing intent or presence—concepts that you’d expect to find in martial arts novels—or, to be more accurate, in “Japanese manga or anime,” were naturally accepted in this world. Scenes like, “How can this killing intent...!” or “How did they manage to hide their presence...!” often appeared.

...I can’t sense any of that, though.

I don’t know how to use magic, nor can I feel things like presence or killing intent. In fact, if I could sense such things, my expression would have broken long ago. Lucas used to toy with me by showing his killing intent, aside from just threatening me with a sword. He eventually stopped when he saw I didn’t even flinch.

But the truth was, I just couldn’t sense it.

“...”

Everyone’s attention turned to me. Apparently, Mia Crowfield was directing her killing intent toward me now. She wasn’t originally a character known for wielding a sword, so her killing intent wasn’t overwhelming. Still, people seemed to find it strange that I wasn’t fazed by her hostile aura.

“Your Highness, do you participate in student council activities?”

She asked me, staring intently.

In the original story, Mia Crowfield was a very quiet character. She knew that the Emperor, Alice's father, had killed her own father, but she never directed more than a polite hostility toward Alice.

After all, she didn’t think Alice herself had been involved. In the original story, it was Claire’s doing.

Later, she did go into a frenzy trying to take Claire’s life. But in the end, she was easily subdued and left screaming in agony.

“What is the meaning behind your question?”

I asked, quietly looking at Mia Crowfield.

...I won’t say I feel no guilt at all. After all, my actions did lead to the destruction of her family.

However, I don’t regret it. I may not know if it’s right to justify my actions this way, but I only ever killed when I had a reason.

And I had a reason when I saw the Earl of Crowfield in bed with a child who couldn’t have been more than eight years old.

The child, and the Earl himself, were under the influence of opium.

When I killed him, of course, it wasn’t in that exact situation. But if I had let him live, such an incident would certainly have happened again in the future.

After his death, opium dens were strictly banned within the Crowfield territory. Not because it was immoral, but because the Countess of Crowfield cleaned up all the family’s affairs, afraid the scandal would come back to haunt them.

When the Countess learned the truth about her husband, did she feel any disappointment?

Looking at Mia Crowfield now, it didn’t seem like that was the case.

“I...”

It seemed she realized a bit late that everyone’s eyes were on her. The hostility she had directed at me moments ago seemed to waver as her expression faltered, and she glanced around, appearing slightly flustered.

It was just like the original story.

“Is it because I killed your father?”

“...What?”

The atmosphere in the student council room froze instantly.

The previously relaxed air grew taut, as if it could snap at any moment. Even though I couldn’t sense killing intent, I could feel the temperature in the room drop several degrees.

Some of those present had likely heard rumors, but no one had ever outright confirmed it. Assassinations are, after all, most effective when they’re kept secret.

“You... killed...”

“Yes, I did. I placed a bomb in his carriage. Twelve people died.”

“What are you talking about...?”

Alice’s face turned pale as she looked at me.

“I’m talking about my assassination of the Earl of Crowfield. Did you not know?”

Alice shook her head.

She probably had her suspicions. Even if she denied it, she wouldn’t have imagined that I was the one who killed him.

After all, I was only twelve at the time.

“...What do you mean? You... killed someone?”

“I had already killed someone when I escaped the orphanage.”

I answered Claire calmly, while the faces around me grew even paler.

“What were you planning to do if you joined the student council... if you became part of the same council as me?”

I turned to Mia Crowfield and asked.

“...Why?”

But Mia Crowfield only stared at me in a daze.

Her expression was one of confusion, as if the sudden revelation had left her unsure of how to react.

Was it because she had no weapon? She didn’t seem to be making any moves to kill me.

With a thud, Mia collapsed to her knees, unable to support herself.

But no one moved to help her up.

They all just stared at me, as if looking at some kind of monster.

“Didn’t you already know? Wasn’t that why you were staring at me?”

“...”

Mia Crowfield remained silent.

“...You.”

As I quietly observed her kneeling form, a cold voice came from the side.

It was Charlotte, who had just set her teacup down and was now glaring at me with an expression that could freeze the air around us.

“Are you saying that the Emperor of this empire... murdered one of his own nobles?”

Was she still maintaining her manners out of habit, even in this situation?

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“And why?”

“For the Emperor’s power.”

Alice’s face grew even paler.

I had already made it clear to Alice that I supported her. Even if I were to be named as the next emperor, I’d stand by Alice’s side alone.

Knowing this, Alice might now think that I killed the Earl to strengthen her claim to the throne.

“...Do you think it’s acceptable to do anything for the sake of power?”

Charlotte looked at me with true disgust in her eyes.

“My personal judgment was also involved.”

“Personal judgment...?”

Claire echoed my words softly.

“...What do you mean by personal judgment?”

Though her gaze was filled with disgust, Charlotte still asked for clarification without interrupting.

Even now, the princess of the kingdom was trying to see me with impartial eyes. Maybe she didn’t fully believe me. After all, I claimed to have killed him, but there was no real evidence. It could easily seem like I was just saying this because the Emperor ordered me to.

“The Earl was involved in the opium trade. There was an opium den in his territory, and within it, there was a brothel that exploited children under the age of ten. Even if the Earl wasn’t directly managing the trade, he was clearly a patron of that brothel.”

“And your evidence?”

“I witnessed it with my own eyes.”

“...Was there an investigation, a trial—?”

“That was impossible.”

If it had been possible, such a thing wouldn’t have happened in his territory in the first place. No matter how powerful the Emperor is, the highest authority within the territory belongs to the Earl. The Emperor could have traveled there and wielded his power directly. And he did—through violence, by eliminating the Earl.

“Would it have been possible in your kingdom?”

“...”

Charlotte fell silent when I asked her this.

Her expression, which had been that of someone looking at a monster, seemed to shift slightly. It was difficult to tell exactly what emotion she was feeling.

“...My father...? Why...?”

Mia Crowfield murmured softly, as if talking to herself after hearing my explanation.

“Mia Crowfield. I still haven’t received your answer.”

I turned back to her and asked again.

“What were you planning to do if you joined the student council? Were you intending to kill me once you realized I was the one who murdered your father?”

“...”

Mia stared at me blankly for a moment, then—

“...I’ll kill you.”

She said it.

“I’ll kill you!”

“Even if your father was a man who committed such atrocities? Even if he sacrificed countless children?”

“I don’t believe it! I don’t believe any of it!”

“Lady Crowfield!”

The student council president finally snapped out of his daze and stood up as Mia began to rise, as if she were about to lunge at me.

“You believe that I killed your father, but you refuse to believe he committed such evil acts?”

“I’ll... kill you with my own hands...!”

Seeing the student council president intervene, the noble girls nearby rushed to restrain Mia Crowfield.

“Please, Lady Crowfield! Calm down, just for a moment...!”

“I understand.”

As I spoke quietly, the room froze once again.

“So that’s how you feel.”

“Wait a second, sister.”

Just as I didn’t know how to sense killing intent, I also didn’t know how to exude it. The most I could do was glare at someone.

But maybe they thought there was something more to it.

They might have realized something was off when they confirmed that I could kill without a flicker of emotion on my face, even when I was just twelve. Maybe they feared I would deal with Mia Crowfield here and now.

Claire was already halfway out of her seat, watching me closely.

Was she worried I might kill again? At least, her eyes didn’t seem to show disgust or hatred toward me. Instead, they were filled with concern.

“W-wait, Claire.”

Alice spoke hesitantly.

“Everyone, calm down. We don’t even know if all of this is true.”

Alice was trying her best to defend me.

Leo was completely frozen, and Charlotte still seemed conflicted.

Hmm.

So, this is how everyone reacts.

I slowly looked around the room, memorizing their faces.

And then—

•  

“Nothing has been decided yet.”

I spoke calmly to Mia Crowfield.

“I’ll do as Her Highness... no, as Alice wishes. What will you do?”

“Huh? Ah, uh, yes.”

Alice, who had been glancing between me and Mia Crowfield, answered, seemingly a bit flustered.

“I... I’m considering it positively.”

“Then I will also consider it positively.”

I said this, and then took a small sip of my milk tea.

“...Then, I would like to consider it positively as well.”

Mia Crowfield, who had been glaring at me moments before, said softly.