episode_0098

“… … It was because of Bella.”

At Claire’s words, Alice and I locked eyes for a moment.

I wonder if Leo and Claire are suspicious of Bella’s true identity? Honestly, I thought Bella’s acting was perfect.

“That… … It might sound like a bluff when I say it like this, but when I met Bella yesterday, I felt something. We wanted to help Bella.”

It looks like it was eaten too well.

Alice’s shoulders, which had been tense and tense, seemed to lose some of their strength.

“But I couldn’t find Bella, and somehow I ended up looking at you guys.”

“You managed to find out.”

“Isn’t it stranger not to know?”

Claire looked at me with a snort.

Alice didn’t know, but she seemed confident that she could recognize it for sure.

No, if you think about how Alice, Claire, and Leo all came rushing in at once before turning back time, Claire would have recognized Alice right away. In the original, Leo would have just passed over it thinking, ‘That can’t be it,’ but Claire would have definitely figured it out.

“… … .”

There was a brief pause in the conversation. There was no particular reason for it, but there was a bunny girl passing by in the hallway. She glanced at our two masks, but didn’t pay much attention and passed by. She probably saw the bills still in my hand.

Wearing a mask is not mandatory. It’s just that… … most people who wear this kind of clothing simply do not want to show their identity to others.

If you received money, you could at least show your face.

“So, what are we going to do with this?”

Claire opened her mouth as she watched the woman passing by us, judging that she had gradually moved far enough away that her voice was no longer audible.

“… … Even if I tell you to go back, you won’t go back, right? ”

“That’s right.”

Claire nodded at Alice’s words. Then she turned her gaze towards Leo. Leo, who received Claire’s gaze, also nodded with a serious expression.

“Sigh.”

Alice sighed deeply, but didn’t look that upset.

“Then, will you cooperate with me?”

At Alice’s suggestion, Claire and Leo made eye contact for a moment, then looked back at her and nodded.

“Okay.”

“willingly.”

After hearing both people’s answers, Alice nodded.

“Okay. Those two… … are skilled, but they’re also Grace Guys.”

And the story continued.

“According to the information I have, there is a spy hiding here.”

“Spy?”

At the word spy, Claire’s expression immediately turned serious. Leo was the same. Leo, who had been looking around as if he couldn’t see our bodies properly until just a moment ago, was now looking straight at us.

Indeed, Grace. One of the Emperor’s truly loyal families.

“Yeah. But I don’t know exactly what that spy is trying to do. But… … Considering his nationality, it’s probably something to do with Jibo. ”

Although Bella wouldn’t have given such detailed information, Alice had now come to a conclusion that was pretty close to the truth through her own inference.

Well, if you know how the law moves, it shouldn’t be that difficult of a deduction. The Imperial Intelligence Service wasn’t stupid either.

“Jibo?”

But Claire and Leo, who didn’t have access to that kind of information, looked a bit bewildered.

“… … I’ll tell you the details later. First, we need to catch the informant in front of us. ”

“Do you know who that source is?”

“Yeah.”

Alice nodded. Her eyes were burning with determination.

“I saw it a little while ago. If you leave now, it might still be there. Leo, there’s something I want you to do. ”

Leo blinked at Alice’s call.

Before Leo could reply, Alice snatched the pound note that was still in my hand and placed it, now cold, in Leo’s hand.

“… … Can I borrow this?”

And then he looked at Claire and said that. Claire seemed to understand what Alice was saying and nodded silently.

……hmm.

I know what it means, but… … .

When I think about the money that was stuck between my chest, I feel a little uncomfortable. Is it because I have strange thoughts?

*

After that, surprisingly, things went in a similar way to when I first came here.

In the original, it wasn’t exactly revealed what Alice was doing on the first day Leo met her. Perhaps, if you look at the story that followed, there wouldn’t be much to gain.

But there were quite a few people here to help, especially since Leo, who was openly male, was also there.

“Would you like a drink?”

“… … be noisy.”

Claire asked Leo quietly, who was very nervous. Unlike before, Claire was wearing a mask. It didn’t look like she had gotten it legally, but rather, she had been very drunk and stumbled around, and someone had dropped it and picked it up.

Claire, wearing a mask like that and unbuttoning a few of her uniform buttons as if trying to look a little decadent, strangely gave off a vibe a bit like the original Claire.

Of course, it was only a little bit because of the sincere atmosphere that couldn’t be hidden even with that kind of atmosphere. Especially, unless I let my hair down, that kind of atmosphere would never come out.

“It’s over there.”

“Ah, that guy… … .”

Bunny Girl Alice, who had regained her composure by putting her mask back on, pointed her finger at Chiara Verratti, and Claire muttered in surprise.

That’s understandable. If someone who seemed so rough at first glance was actually a member of the Knights Templar, people who didn’t know the truth would be shocked. Besides, all the women in the Knights Templar were nuns.

If a person like that were to wear a bunny outfit and put glitter on his chest, no one would know.

In that sense, the law really picked the right person. Other fanatics would never have wanted to take on that role, but someone who only cosplays as a fanatic would gladly take on that kind of work.

If I could fight with my life on the line, I would have taken on the job more happily.

“… … .”

I thought Alice was in charge right now, so I didn’t say anything. In the first place, the reason I put up with dressing up like a bunny girl was to do what Alice wanted.

Well, I’m glad I found the right person.

It’s a good thing the Imperial Intelligence Service isn’t incompetent.

Or maybe Bella is competent.

“How about it, can you do it?”

At Alice’s question, Leo nodded, although his face was tense and stiff.

“Okay, then… … .”

Alice said that and went a little bit away from Leo. I was a little bit away from Alice, but I was somewhere I could run to in an instant if necessary… … Claire was right next to me.

… … .

hmm.

I feel a little uncomfortable.

I felt a little uneasy because it seemed like Claire was trying to protect me. No matter what, it felt like someone much younger than me was trying to protect me…

Come to your senses.

I have something to focus on right now. I can feel the awkwardness later.

If things fail, you can always roll back.

Why is that?

I don’t think I want to turn back the clock now, even if Leona or one of us makes a mistake.

Feeling that way, I quietly watched Leo, who was moving his leg and arm forward at the same time, with a slightly uneasy heart.

*

Judging by the results, the operation was a success.

However, it seems that irreparable damage has been inflicted on Leo’s mind.

How embarrassing would it be if, while talking to a bunny girl, you dropped the money without being able to put it between your chest because your hands were shaking so much, and then the bunny girl gave you the money with a stiff face?

I thought about whether I should turn back time and give him another chance with the bare minimum of mercy, but the truth is that the same person would repeat the same mistake if they went through the same thing, so I decided to just ignore it and move on.

And if you think about it, it wasn’t Leo’s fault. One of the problems was that the bills had absorbed so much moisture between my chest that they didn’t stand up straight.

Perhaps the dampness of the collected banknotes was one of the reasons why Chiara Verratti’s expression had become rotten.

But, he must have noticed us from behind and followed us obediently.

And so, going around and around, we ended up back where we were before I turned back time.

Although the attire and the person leading the conversation have changed.

“So, what’s going on with the princess dressed like that?”

As he said that, Chiara Verratti’s eyes turned towards me,

“No, should I say ‘princesses’?”

So I changed the question.