"…Hey, wait a minute."

That’s how the uncomfortable encounter in the student council room ended.

No, more accurately, it ended after school when classes were over.

Since I hadn’t officially joined the student council yet and was still in the “maybe” stage, we didn’t have anything to do after class.

Yesterday, we studied in the library.

Claire had seemed like she wanted to see me briefly after school, but I had too much to think about, so I quickly returned to the dormitory. Maybe I’ll get another chance once I’ve sorted my thoughts. If I feel like it, I can always turn back time and spend it with Claire.

As for romance with the heroine… well, honestly, I don’t have any particular desire for it.

It’s true that I was quite immersed in playing the character Leo Grace in the game. I’m not as handsome, wealthy, talented in studies, or skilled with a sword as Leo. When I think about the version of me who barely managed to find a job, scraping by while spending the rest of my time playing games and reading manga, comparing myself to someone like Leo, who effortlessly attracted women, is just impossible.

But despite all that, Leo was the character I controlled in the game. Even though there weren’t that many choices, and the ones that did exist didn’t significantly affect the ending, I still developed some attachment to him as my in-game avatar.

And now, I’ve ended up inside that very game.

I’m definitely interested in the romantic pairings. I’m curious to see who Leo will end up with and how the changed story will play out. Honestly, it’s quite exciting that I’m the catalyst for those changes.

In fact, from the perspective of a player of the original game, my existence is a character to be both revered and feared.

An infinite regression ability with no risk? While I may not have superhuman physical abilities, my powers allow me to mess with even some of the strongest characters.

Not to mention, thanks to this ability, I already know information that I otherwise shouldn’t. For example, I’ve read all the prophecies stored deep within the Imperial Palace’s forbidden archives. And I don’t even need to worry about escaping after sneaking in. As long as I can get in once, I can read everything, then go back in time and reset it all.

…Anyway.

That’s why I turned down Claire’s request and came back to the dormitory.

As expected of a prestigious dormitory, it was just as clean and luxurious as my room in the Imperial Palace. In some ways, it was even better.

Just as I was about to close the door to my room, Alice grabbed the doorknob.

I can’t beat Alice when it comes to strength. If I knew ahead of time, I could avoid her, but…

“….”

Knowing that, I let go of the doorknob. Alice opened the now unresisted door and stepped into my room.

Bang!

The door shut a bit harder than necessary.

She seemed… a little angry. Or maybe just emotional? Is there even a difference?

“That look Crowfield gave you earlier—she didn’t seem like she was just casually glancing your way.”

Alice crossed her arms, clearly upset, but maintaining some level of composure to ask rational questions.

“Is there something you’re not telling me?”

“…”

What should I do?

Alice probably knows about the death of Earl Crowfield, though she might not know the exact cause. There’s no way the Emperor would have told her directly.

She might have her suspicions, though. Alice isn’t stupid. She’s likely aware that the Emperor could be eliminating his political rivals one by one. After all, she’s spent her whole life observing the man who’s her father.

“Answer me. This is…”

She stopped mid-sentence, then frowned slightly as if considering something, before speaking again, more resolute this time.

“This is a question I’m asking as the future Empress. It’s information I need to know.”

“…”

So that’s how it’s going to be.

There was a similar scene in the original story. But back then, most people didn’t care much about the matter. Alice’s attitude wasn’t as serious; it was more like she was grasping at straws, and most of the time, it was when she was dealing with the Emperor’s other children.

But the Alice standing before me now had a much more serious expression. She wasn’t just using her status to throw a tantrum. She was sincerely using her authority to question me.

And it was me who shaped this version of Alice.

…In that case, it would be right to respect that authority.

“I killed him.”

“…”

Alice stared at me, still with the same posture, without saying anything for a few moments.

“…What?”

About five seconds later, her expression loosened into one of disbelief, and she muttered quietly.

“The explosion of the carriage he was riding in was caused by a bomb I placed underneath it.”

“…”

Alice, who had been standing there in shock with her mouth slightly open, staggered to my bed and sat down. Then, she looked up at me and asked,

“Why?”

“Because the Emperor ordered it.”

“…You were… how old then?”

“Twelve.”

“…And since then, have there been any other assassination orders?”

“That was the first and the last one I received.”

“What about the others?”

“I don’t know. But based on the circumstances, it’s unlikely that was the only time.”

“…”

Alice fell silent, lost in thought.

This was different from the moment in the student council room when I had openly admitted the truth. There, she wasn’t the only one listening, which meant controlling the situation was almost impossible.

“Did you kill the Earl just for that reason?”

“…”

The look Alice gave me was mixed with complex emotions.

She trusted me, but that didn’t mean she knew everything about me. She didn’t know about my origins from another world or the full extent of what I had done here.

The Emperor may think of me as a difficult tool to manage, but Alice didn’t see me as a tool. The fact that she was horrified when she saw the morphine I had stored was proof of that.

“The Earl was running an opium business within his territory.”

“…”

Alice waited, looking at me as if urging me to continue.

“And he had established brothels that used young children. He was also a frequent patron of those brothels.”

Whether the Earl had started the business himself or simply turned a blind eye in exchange for something, I don’t know. But he was certainly one of the brothel’s regular customers.

I hadn’t just seen it once. I’d gone back several times, observing him. I’d even heard him admit it himself.

“The children were likely from the orphanage.”

“…”

“And I’m from the orphanage, too.”

“…”

Alice, who had been staring up at me, finally exhaled a small breath as if some of her tension had eased.

“Then… one last question. What if the Earl had truly been an innocent man? If the Emperor had ordered his death solely for political reasons, what would you have done?”

“I wouldn’t have killed him.”

What I would have done after that, I’m not sure. Maybe I would have revealed the truth and helped fake his death, or perhaps I would have simply left him alone. Since it never happened, I can’t say for sure.

But one thing is certain—I wouldn’t have killed him. Even though I knew from the game what kind of person the Earl was, I still made sure to confirm it before making my decision. After all, there was a chance his actions could have been different from the game.

In the end, I decided to kill him.

“I see.”

Alice let out a long breath and nodded.

“So, that’s how it is.”

She closed her eyes, sitting still for a few seconds, then stood up.

“Alright.”

As she rose, Alice looked me straight in the eyes and said,

“From now on, there will be no need for such things.”

Huh?

I stared at Alice, trying to make sense of her sudden statement. She met my gaze with a firm look of determination.

“From now on, there’s no reason for your hands to be stained with blood.”

“…”

Uh, well…

That…

“When I become Empress, I won’t make you do any more of those dirty tasks.”

Well…

No matter how you look at it, I find it hard to believe that someone like an Empress wouldn’t have to deal with dirty work at all.

Even in the modern world, leaders sometimes make soldiers or spies do the dirty work, don’t they? Reality doesn’t follow chivalry’s rules.

“If the Emperor gives a direct order—”

“Disregard it. I’ll handle it.”

“…”

Did I… press some kind of button inside her?

Alice’s words seemed somewhat unrealistic. Honestly, it sounded like something a stubborn child would say. Even if she was poised to become the next Empress, the current Emperor is still strong and healthy. It would take decades for her to take over.

If I defied the Emperor’s orders while he’s still alive, what would I even say?

…Even though I thought it was absurd,

“...Understood.”

I somehow felt compelled to say that.

I don’t believe Alice’s promise will hold up perfectly. But even so, I could tell that she genuinely meant what she said. She was sincerely determined to shield me from the Emperor’s commands.

And I found myself feeling proud of her for that.

“...Why are you making that face?”

Alice asked, her tone annoyed, as if she was bothered by something.

Huh?

“…What expression do you mean?”

I should be expressionless. If I’d made any changes to my face, I would’ve noticed. After all, I’ve trained myself to maintain a neutral expression at all times.

I wanted to raise my hand to touch my face, but I held back. If her comment was a fake-out, I didn’t want to fall for it. Better to keep staring at her with confidence that my face hadn’t changed.

“Hmph.”

Alice made a dismissive sound, turned, and walked toward the door without hesitation.

With a soft click, the door opened.

…Was it locked?

“Well then, rest well.”

Alice said before closing the door behind her.

“…”

I was going to rest well even if she hadn’t said that.

I sat down on my bed.

I had planned to sort my thoughts for a while, then maybe turn back time to have tea with Claire... but now...

Sorry, Claire, I’ll have to pass on that. After a conversation like the one I just had with Alice, going back in time seems like a waste. Even if I did go back for tea with Claire, there’s no guarantee the conversation with Alice would unfold the same way again. Having rewound time multiple times before, I know for certain that time never bends exactly to my will.

Even the slightest change in my actions can lead to drastically different outcomes. If I’ve already experienced the outcome I want, I’d have to follow my previous actions with absolute precision to achieve the same result.

“Disregard the Emperor’s orders, huh.”

Did Alice somehow gain leverage over the Emperor? Or was she planning to use the information I shared today as leverage?

Neither seems very likely.

So, she must simply be relying on her own strength.

…Thinking about it that way, I felt proud of Alice again.

It seems like my time in this world hasn’t been wasted after all.

Smiling to myself, I lay back on the soft bed.