"Or should I say ‘princesses’ instead?"

As expected, Chiara Verati was fully aware of who we were.

For someone infiltrating deep into the Empire, she’d obviously have done her homework.

Without waiting for us to sit, she took one of the terrace seats, crossed her legs, and leaned back casually. Her demeanor was noticeably different from when she’d confronted me alone.

Well, it made sense. Back then, I hadn’t been dressed in… this sort of attire, and I’d approached her directly, without pretense, even sticking a bill between my chest without hesitation.

I didn’t act like I was trying to blend in; I’d behaved as if I already knew everything about her. She couldn’t treat me lightly.

Now, though she seemed at ease, her gaze kept shifting toward me.

If she’d received any report of how I’d presented myself at the recent trilateral meeting, she’d know better than to underestimate me.

But Alice seemed a bit bothered by Chiara’s attention.

Alice took a seat at one end of the curved bench, directly across from Chiara Verati. She sat with her legs crossed and her arms folded, exuding confidence.

It made her look even… more, well, noticeable, but at this moment, her pride was clearly stronger than her embarrassment.

I took the seat next to Alice, followed by Claire, and finally Leo, who sat down looking incredibly tense.

"So, why don’t you come over here, handsome?"

Verati tapped the seat beside her, clearly aiming to seize control of the conversation.

"You seem a little inexperienced, but I don’t mind that sort of man."

"As a Holy Knight and nun, is it acceptable to lust after men?"

"Well, the goddess did command us to be fruitful and multiply. I doubt she’d be pleased if her children just hid away, refusing to procreate and letting themselves die alone."

With that, Verati shrugged.

"And besides, I am keeping my vow of chastity… for now. But even if I didn’t, do you think the Order would expel me for it? They’d probably prefer I eliminate any man I bedded to keep my position secure."

"Eliminating the heir of House Grace wouldn’t exactly earn you any favors with His Majesty."

"Who knows? Even the Empire would think twice about waging war against the Theocracy, right? They might just let it slide over one dead noble."

Bluster, obviously.

The Theocracy and the Kingdom had been attempting to form an alliance for one reason: as individual states, they could never hope to defeat the Empire. The Empire’s military buildup and recent deployment of forces along the border had only intensified their concerns.

I glanced over at Alice.

Her expression hadn’t changed. She wasn’t merely maintaining a poker face; she genuinely understood the situation with the Theocracy and the Kingdom. I’d given her a detailed report after my meeting that day.

"Don’t be ridiculous. My father would happily use that as a pretext to invade the Theocracy."

"…"

Exactly.

The most crucial element in war is justification. No matter how much power you have, if there’s no just cause, the people won’t support you. Whether it’s inflated patriotism, national pride, or the tangible fear of being overrun by the enemy, soldiers need a reason to fight.

The Emperor would have no qualms about turning the death of one noble into a national rallying point.

Even autonomous states, despite their pleas for assistance, had imposed conditions limiting the Empire’s military presence. They knew well enough what kind of man the Emperor was.

"So, from what I hear, the Emperor has both sons and daughters. If you’re thinking of using his authority to intimidate me, that might not be a good idea. A mere princess of the Empire, especially one without the title of Crown Prince, doesn’t hold much leverage over us. Unless…"

Verati gave a sly smile.

"Would you like my help in becoming the next Empress? If we get along well, sharing information wouldn’t be out of the question. Having a genuine friend ascend the throne would be a great advantage."

"Spare me."

Alice responded immediately.

"Do I seem that naïve to you? The Imperial succession is decided solely by the royal family. No foreign country, let alone our Parliament, has any right to interfere."

"In that case, there’s nothing more to discuss. If you’re not the next in line for the throne—"

Verati’s gaze shifted to me.

"—nor do you possess exceptional abilities like the other princes and princesses, then why would we bother forming an alliance with a mere princess? We’d rather take what we want and leave."

"So, there is something here you’re after."

Alice’s retort nearly made me smile.

Looks like her studies paid off.

"You’re saying there’s something here you want to take. Isn’t that right? And it sounds like you haven’t yet secured all the information you need. Otherwise, you’d have taken it and left without revealing yourself. I’m glad we’re not too late."

"And so what if we are?"

Unfazed, Verati shrugged.

With every exchange between Alice and Verati, the heads of those seated between them turned back and forth as if watching a tennis match.

"If I keep quiet, you’ll have no idea what we’re after anyway."

"…"

Alice straightened up, still crossing her legs but with her hands clasped in front of her, a posture strikingly similar to the Emperor’s.

"It seems you’re mistaken."

There was a calmness in her tone, free of any animosity or intensity.

Not that I’d be able to sense such things anyway.

I wondered if Claire or Leo felt anything from Alice. Judging by their wide-eyed expressions, they could sense the shift in her demeanor from her usual self.

"I am a princess of the Empire and the next in line for the throne. What you think of my abilities is irrelevant. I alone carry the royal bloodline and am the sole successor to the legitimacy of the Empire."

Alice continued without a trace of hesitation.

"And this is the Empire, not the Theocracy. No matter how many forces you brought, all you can do here is act in secret. You couldn’t have smuggled an entire Holy Knights battalion across the border."

"…"

Verati seemed to catch on to something in Alice’s unruffled demeanor.

Staring intently at her, as if reassessing her, Alice delivered a chilling statement.

"Knowing I’m a princess, you still followed me here. Or did you underestimate me so much that you felt safe following me this far? Either way, it doesn’t matter. Thanks to you, I can deal with you here without risking civilian casualties. And I was able to bring you to an open area like this."

"If you’re trying to threaten me—"

"A threat? Do I look that foolish to you?"

Alice lifted her chin, her blue eyes shining brightly under the moonlight.

She directed her gaze at Verati, who, moments before, had belittled her as just another princess.

"This isn’t a threat; it’s a plan. I knew you were here two weeks ago, and I’ve prepared accordingly."

Two weeks ago, when we were at the café and Bella shared the intelligence with us.

"From the moment you decided to follow us, you walked right into a trap. Now, you have only two choices: either live and uphold your faith or try to escape, which would be no different from a death sentence."

Ah.

So that’s what this was all leading to.

I’d wondered why Bella hadn’t shown up earlier.

Just as Verati tried to stand, having finally grasped the situation, a swift, slicing sound tore through the air as a curtain ripped open.

A strange device, like a toy with a glove that shot out to strike its target when triggered, slammed down on the table in front of her.

Of course, it wasn’t a toy. Each extension was fitted with blades, deadly sharp, and far more flexible than a child’s toy.

With a metallic clink, the blade retracted, merging back into a thin, long sword.

Standing there was—

"Hey there!"

Bella waved cheerfully at Leo and Claire. Leo stared at her in shock, mouth open.

But neither of them would recognize her.

Bella wore a fox mask, the kind you’d see at a Japanese festival, and her hair was dyed black instead of her usual color.

Her form-fitting black outfit clung to her, revealing her silhouette without exposing any skin. And by subtly changing her voice to a higher-pitched, youthful tone, she sounded completely different.

Bella’s strength was anonymity, and her outfit played into it.

And, obviously, the fox mask was just the developer’s indulgence. Here, it was supposed to be a keepsake from the East.

"Chiara Verati. Baptismal name: Eliza."

At this, Verati glared at Alice.

"Congratulations. You’ve had the rare honor of facing every princess of the Empire at once—a distinction no one else in the Empire has ever experienced."