Tin Can Tears Up the Ballroom

To be blunt, Selene has a ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠notorious reputation.

She's called Blood Moon behind closed doors instead of Silver Moon.

Rumors swirl that she's just like her power-mad emperor father. The first prince, the second princess—everyone in the imperial family is nothing but raving lunatics worse than beasts.

But I know the truth. Only Selene's secret society and I know it.

She's acting every single moment. Pretending to submit to the emperor while building her strength. For the revolution that's sure to come one day. For the dawn.

'For the sake of all the common people.'

That's what she always said in the original story after the revolution, when she became a sage ruler.

Now that I'm in this automaton body, I notice even the tiniest details.

"Yes. Kneel, you lowly things."

Her eyelids twitching like spasms, her face twisting as if she can't hold back the nausea.

"Grovel on the ground and look up at the empire's Silver Moon, Selene von Baltgard."

Loathing for the emperor who forced this situation on her—and for herself.

"Karstein Grand Duke's lady. I want to see your dance."

The moment she forced Freira to dance, her self-loathing must have peaked. Selene was trembling almost violently.

Freira, who had never been to a ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠ball before, couldn't help but dance awkwardly—and this was outright public humiliation.

"…Hamel. Do you know how to dance?"

Freira whispered.

No clue. I know guerrilla gymnastics, but that's not the issue.

Who am I? Argent's Love Doll.

I took Freira's hand and pulled her up. All eyes were on us. Maybe one part expectation, nine parts worry.

The music started. I could tell it was 3/4 time, but that was it.

So this time, I'd trust the system logs.

Tap. Ta-dap. The lively footsteps began. Freira, tense at first, gradually relaxed into it.

Freira's expression brightened. She was even smiling subtly. No mistakes. Whenever she faltered, I covered for her.

Our grand duke's lady was perfect like this.

The music ended. Naturally, applause and cheers filled the hall.

Even I thought we danced like pros.

Yeah, yeah. Thanks for this one.

Selene couldn't speak. Her eyes sparkled, just for a moment.

"…."

I could see it all. She was thrilled right now.

Thanks to me, Freira avoided humiliation. She did as ordered, so even the emperor couldn't complain.

Selene nodded, managing her expression, and handed Freira a wine glass.

"Not bad. Drink."

"My deepest gratitude, Your Highness."

Too early to relax. The double whammy of frame jobs was coming right up.

Freira lifted her glass politely too. The naive grand duke's lady hadn't noticed.

As she raised it, bubbles started rising. Someone had slipped in poison fast.

My low-grade sensors couldn't detect it, but I knew from experience.

The Magod Special Forces were within arm's reach, optically cloaked invisible.

Next, they'll trip Freira.

"Ack!?"

Freira stumbled. The poisoned glass flew straight at the princess.

I caught the lady and blocked the glass with my body. Keep the frame jobs coming. I'd counter every one.

The spot where the wine hit evaporated the cloth, smoke rising. My arcanium alloy skin was slightly corroded.

If that had hit her face, Selene would've been burned bad. Freira would've taken severe damage.

How the hell does he pull this shit on his own daughter?

The emperor wasn't human. Selene's face hardened, sensing the same.

I could feel the emperor's rage boiling through his clairvoyance. He couldn't uncloak the Special Forces, so he'd lash out now.

A blond man pushed through the murmuring nobles. The frowning crowd recognized him and bowed hastily.

"W-We see the Empire's Dawn."

"Enough. Move."

The first prince, Adrian von Baltgard.

If Selene was acting arrogant, this prick just was arrogant. Just like his old man.

"Your Highness the First Prince? Why are you here?"

"Obvious. Shut up and stay put."

Here to put the final nail in the frame job coffin.

Adrian approached me with a nasty smirk.

"Karstein Grand Duke's lady, right?"

"W-We see the Empire's Dawn."

"Whatever. Explain. Why was there poison in the glass you handed to Princess Selene?"

He grabbed my tuxedo collar like he owned it. Smoke wafted from the hole in the fabric.

Freira's eyes wavered. She'd sensed something was off.

"Behold, all you here! Had the wine glass hit Princess Selene, she surely wouldn't have survived!"

"Your Highness, please calm down for a moment…"

"I didn't permit you to ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠speak! This is an assassination attempt—nay, treason against the imperial family!"

Selene tried to intervene, but the prince bellowed to stop her.

Everyone knew it was obvious theater. No grounds to refute, just the huge status gap.

"Grand duke's lady! Speak! Are you plotting to overthrow the imperial family?!"

Thankfully, Freira said nothing. Her eyes went from wronged to murderous.

When someone shits on you for no reason, it pisses you off.

In those cases, just give them a shitty reason.

"Why no answer? Silence means admission!"

Keep yapping like a rabid chihuahua. I had a special gift ready.

I could feel Elise up in the chandelier, thrilled.

Kagagak, crash!

A massive boom. Adrian looked up, his face stupidly blank.

"Huh?"

The chandelier above crashed straight down. His princely dignity vanished as he dove in panic.

Loser.

Scaredy-cat.

I shed the tuxedo.

The falling chandelier hit the spherical barrier. The shattered fragments' paths twisted, drifting down slowly like fish swimming.

It was made to deflect bullets, so this was a breeze.

The screaming nobles peeked up one by one. Even the prince, clutching his head.

My body gleamed as the barrier vanished, and they finally got it.

"…Automaton?"

"Wait, so the grand duke's lady brought an automaton?"

"Everyone's safe anyway. Let's drink."

Prince Adrian was struck dumb, like he'd eaten honey.

The imperial villa was managed by the imperial ceremony office—including maintenance. This exposed their negligence to all.

"B-But the hole in your clothes… This is an affront to the imperial—"

Tuxedo? I tossed it earlier. It was shredded, waltzing with the chandelier bits now.

No frame jobs left.

At best, gripe about bringing an automaton—but would Freira bat an eye?

"…Hamel. You saved me again."

She was still clutching my hand like she was entranced.

A cheerful voice drowned out the mumbling prince.

"I-Is everyone alright?! Anyone hurt, come to me!"

Atmosphere reset: Alsanna's specialty.

The prince's face twisted in displeasure. He glared daggers at me.

Whatever. Show's over. Get lost.

As the grinding prince slunk away, the princess approached. She said nothing. Even a whisper, and the emperor would see her lips.

And I could speak without opening my mouth.

Selene avoided our eyes. As she brushed past me, I whispered.

"The moon shines through the clouds' gaps."

A raven to the Silver Moon.

I'm on your side.

The ball was, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠of course, canceled. No one wanted to tap-dance on chandelier shards.

The grand duke's lady and second princess were supposed to end up at complete odds after this day.

One tin can twisted that fate. Freira, nearly framed, left with her automaton to tour the capital.

Selene wandered the capital's grand cathedral. East wing, third floor corridor, second confessional. Inside, silence enveloped her. No presence from the other side.

"…I have come to confess my sins to the Lord."

A flash, and the confessional wrapped in an opaque barrier.

The sanctuary of confession.

One of the Holy Kingdom's wards and mysteries. Confessions in the Lord's name never leak out. It was the original of the 'Silence of Logasil' Gaius used.

The only way to evade the emperor's clairvoyance in the capital.

Selene muttered in the empty confessional.

"The moon shines through the clouds' gaps."

Hoo.

A gas mask breath right behind her head. The Special Forces agent decloaked.

"…Eagles cry over wolf corpses."

Selene's followers were densely spread across the empire. Even the Magod Special Forces weren't exempt.

"Challenge code?"

"Osprey."

The agent tilted his head.

"Your Highness. I heard about the incident. I'm sorry I wasn't there."

"It's fine. You were on Special Forces duty. Just don't get caught. Who else could face the National Guard later?"

"My deepest gratitude. …But I heard a newcomer helped."

Newcomer. Selene murmured.

Too skilled for that. Beyond skilled— like he knew the future.

How did he time the chandelier drop perfectly?

"…Without him, we'd have been helpless against the emperor. The grand duke's lady wouldn't have survived either."

"Forgive my impertinence, but I suspect. I investigated as you mentioned before. That automaton model can't be fitted with autonomous accident modules."

Selene glanced over her shoulder.

"Then how does it cause accidents and speak?"

"…Possibly a possession entity. Luring people while pretending to help. A standard demon tactic."

Reasonable suspicion, but it felt off. Without the raven, she'd be in burn treatment now.

"Osprey. Why don't you check personally?"

"I'll tail in cloaked mode."

"The prince will send rats. Handle them well."

"Of course."

Selene paused as she left the confessional.

"…Any peculiarities on the raven?"

"Love Doll model sales spiked. Popular among noble ladies. Night attendant modules sold out completely."

"Hm. Birth rates will drop. …Anything else? Like the raven's gender."

"Pardon?"

"Forget it."

Osprey tilted his head puzzled.

Should I make him drop his pants? Wait, what's an automaton's gender anyway?