"So, what now?"

The conversation didn’t end there. Alice, hearing Bella’s words, looked at her as if to ask, "So what?"

"What do you mean, 'so'?"

"Did you just come to give us that information and leave? It takes ages to get to Northwood from here, and it’s not like knowing that a Holy Knight is there changes anything for us."

I took a spoonful of mango parfait and put it in my mouth.

The sweet ice cream and slightly tangy mango pieces blended perfectly. The warm weather only made it better—a near-perfect combination. Maybe that’s why it’s called "parfait," the perfect dessert.

I wished I’d taken the chance to have parfait in Velbur last time I was there.

At the time, my judgment was clouded by shock over being sent as the emperor’s representative, so the thought hadn’t even crossed my mind.

I resolved that next time I went to Velbur, I’d make sure to try the recommended menu at Charlotte’s favorite café.

"The only reason Father would pass on information to us is if he wants us to do something about it."

"More like he wants 'us' to do something, not 'you.'"

"Ugh…."

Bella corrected Alice.

It wasn’t the "real" princess, Alice, who received direct orders from the emperor, but rather "the emperor’s children"—essentially, his personal assassins. I was among them, too.

Though, compared to the original story, the number and danger of these missions had been greatly reduced, but the missions were still real.

"…So, then? Why did you go out of your way to come here and inform us while making it clear you’re watching Sylvia?"

I took another spoonful of parfait, this time scooping more fruit than ice cream. Even though it had come from so far away, the juice of the fruit was incredibly fresh. I wondered if it would taste even better if I ate it locally.

"That assumption is wrong. Do you think Sylvia wouldn’t know if I tried to stay hidden while following her around? She probably knew from the moment Lucas was assigned to her."

Actually, I didn’t know from the beginning. In fact, I’d missed Mia Crowfield’s less subtle attempts at tracking me, so it wasn’t surprising that I hadn’t noticed Lucas either.

"If you asked her where Lucas is right now, she could probably tell you instantly."

Nope, I had no idea. If I found out where he was soon, I could probably pretend I knew all along by rewinding time. But honestly, I didn’t expect to find out anytime soon, nor did I plan to rewind time just to fake knowing.

Of course, there was no need to reveal that I didn’t know. After I’d just rattled off the latest information no one should have known, admitting I didn’t know Lucas’s location would be odd.

So, I opted to stay silent.

"…You keep dodging, but why are you giving us this information?"

Well, obviously, it’s an order to infiltrate the casino.

In the original story, it was Claire who delivered this information. Naturally, the character description only said "a girl with a decadent air." Thankfully, this scene was Claire’s first appearance, so it didn’t feel like I had to pretend not to know her character despite already being familiar.

Alice initially appeared in the story in a somewhat suspicious role—a character who seemed diligent on the outside but hinted at hidden depths, misleading players into thinking she had a dark side. They even included a scene where she held a mysterious conversation with an unknown figure while the protagonist wasn’t around, making it easy for players to suspect her.

The dialogue itself wasn’t fully revealed either. Just fragments—something like, "…Alright, I’ll keep that in mind." So obvious that it felt like a setup.

In fact, it was so blatant that no one ended up believing it.

"Before the vacation… there’s one more, uh, field assignment, right? We rearranged the schedule a bit. You’ll be heading to Northwood for this one. Naturally, you’ll be near the casino, which is completely surrounded by forest."

The casino’s security was ironclad, thanks to its location in a dense forest that was difficult for people to enter. They’d cleared out the surrounding trees, and with the forest forming a natural barrier, even if someone ran off after losing all their money, there was no way they’d make it through that vast forest alive.

The local mafia history tied into this somewhat, but that wasn’t relevant right now.

"It’s supposedly an unparalleled natural forest in the Empire… but wild animals apparently appear at all hours. Naturally, there are also hunting requests in the area."

"And so?"

Poor Alice hadn’t considered what that might mean for her.

"If you’re truly the emperor’s daughter, then you should try taking on the same missions as us."

That’s what Claire had said in this scene. Though in this version of the world, Claire was likely still in training or studying somewhere.

And if a casino appears in a game like this, there’s usually one reason.

To put the heroines in bunny girl outfits.

Since the game was a bit niche and didn’t have many figures, they had to at least offer some fan service.

Naturally, Claire joined the infiltration as well. They both donned bunny costumes, wore masquerade masks, and sneaked deep into the casino, only to get caught by Leo, who had somehow ended up there too.

At first, Leo thought, "Nah, there’s no way the princess would be doing something like that here."

…A line that inspired a few fan artists, though that was unrelated to the original game.

"So, yeah, I came to ask a favor."

I wondered how Alice would react.

Honestly, I was curious. The game hadn’t shown Alice’s response to this situation.

I was about to take another spoonful of parfait, eagerly awaiting Bella’s next line and Alice’s reaction—

"From Sylvia."

I froze.

"Mmm, I originally intended to ask our real princess, Alice, just to see how she’d respond."

Bella smiled slyly, casting her gaze over at me.

"But it turns out there’s someone here who probably knows everything already."

"And what did Father say?"

Alice asked, looking at me. Bella shrugged.

"He told me to tell Sylvia."

"…."

Alice bit her lip at that answer.

Well, I froze, not because of the mission… though I can’t say I was particularly eager to accept it.

But that wasn’t what bothered me.

"…Fine. Tell Father this clearly."

Alice glared at Bella.

Seeing her fierce expression, Bella raised her shoulders in mock fear, though her expression was anything but frightened.

"I, as the 'other' princess, will be joining this mission too."

Wait.

No, no, no.

If you go there, you’ll end up in a bunny girl outfit too.

Not that I’d mind—Alice in a bunny girl outfit would just look like a high-quality cosplay faithfully representing the original heroine.

The problem was that I’d most likely end up in a bunny costume alongside her.

And if things went according to the original game, Leo, who would be trailing after Jake, would eventually catch us. I wasn’t planning on letting Alice roam around in a bunny outfit on her own.

"Hoh."

Bella chuckled, amused by Alice’s competitive expression.

"Are you trying to play the 'big sister' role now?"

"Of course."

Alice puffed out her chest proudly.

"As someone with royal blood, I keep my promises. Since I’ve declared myself Sylvia’s older sister, I’ll protect Sylvia as her older sister."

No, that’s not the issue here.

Alice should know about my skills. She already knew I’d fought on the battlefield, so she shouldn’t be worried that things would go south if I went alone or that I might die.

This was just pure competitiveness.

The grin she gave me seemed to say, "You’ve got support, too!"

"Well, fine."

Bella shrugged at Alice’s declaration.

"I planned to watch from a distance, but… this just got interesting. It would feel incomplete if the two sisters infiltrated without me tagging along. I’ll join as well."

With that announcement, Alice cast another sharp look at Bella.

Bella met her gaze confidently.

…With Bella joining us…

Infiltration was now guaranteed, whether I liked it or not.

The fact that my expression didn’t change was nothing short of miraculous.