Student Council (3)
Student Council (3)
If we hadn't brought Claire along to the student council, the atmosphere might have been better.
To any observer, it was an unremarkable group. The children of those standing at the apex of a nation. Though one of them wasn't related by blood, no one could really object to that.
But with "the daughter of a baron" mixed in among them, the hierarchy became awkward.
It wasn't actually that much of a problem. If someone in this group had good instincts, or if there was someone who had traveled around a lot as the child of a high-ranking noble, they would have known exactly how to treat the baron's daughter and her brother inside.
For example—
"Ah, Your Imperial Highnesses, and Your Royal Highness."
Like the student council president who had just entered.
This elegant-looking noble, with his brilliantly shining blond hair neatly trimmed and swept back, was from the Granchester ducal house, known to be the most noble in the empire after the imperial family itself. In fact, aside from the imperial family members, this ducal house carried the most imperial blood.
The most famous person in the imperial family was, of course, the Emperor and Alice. But that didn't mean there was no one else in the imperial family. Some lived quietly in places somewhat removed from central power, while others lived like high-ranking civil servants, holding suitable honorary posts.
They were all people who kept their heads down.
Among the ducal and count houses, there were often those who made trouble without any sense and ended up on the Emperor's kill list, or were simply assassinated. On the contrary, being members of the imperial family meant they knew how to avoid drawing attention.
In the game itself, imperial family members sometimes appeared as extras. They usually said empty-headed things as if they knew nothing, but occasionally, some would accidentally confess their wariness and then ask you to keep it a secret.
Of course, in reality they wouldn't have confessed like that. It was just a game, so they chose that kind of line as a way to convey the situation.
"And... the members of House Grace."
Just as he had greeted Alice, Charlotte, and me, the student council president smiled and politely offered an equal greeting to the Grace children as well.
In fact, this was why it had been quiet until now. Not knowing the names or personalities of the Grace kids, he hadn't spoken to them at all. Since they were brought personally by the imperial princess, they might hold far more power than they appeared to.
As I mentioned before, in noble society, it was considered a breach of etiquette for the lower-ranking person to speak first to the higher-ranking one... anyway, there were several reasons why the student council room had been so quiet.
"My apologies for making you wait. I had some pressing business."
That was likely true. The student council president was genuinely busy. Even if he'd sent an invitation, he couldn't have known what time we would arrive.
"Not at all. We didn't wait that long."
"Hmm."
Listening to Alice's answer, the student council president narrowed his eyes for a brief moment. Though he soon returned to his original expression.
Alice, who intended to treat every student equally, probably used polite speech because she respected the other party as a "senior."
The student council president's gaze lingered on Alice, then moved to Charlotte, and finally to me. The length of time he spent looking at us grew shorter in that order. As for Claire and Leo... describing it as a passing glance rather than a direct look would be more accurate.
"I am honored that you came to visit so soon after I sent the invitation. Is the tea to your liking?"
"Is this from the Salon? Using the same leaves as the imperial household, the student council must pay great attention to such things."
I couldn't tell at all.
Even if I turned back time and tasted it again, distinguishing the origin of the food or drink was, by my standards, utterly impossible. Though maybe if I listened to the whole story and came back again...
This was another reason why I acted like I had a quiet personality. It eliminated the need to waste time and effort revealing information.
"It is from my family's territory. I am glad it suits your palate. But..."
The student council president's gaze finally rested at length on the Grace children.
"May I ask what relationship Her Imperial Highness has with the others?"
This time, even Claire and Leo's gazes were drawn to Alice.
Yes, indeed. What was our relationship?
To call us friends, it hadn't even been a week since we'd met. We'd exchanged some words, but we hadn't exactly formed any kind of bond.
Alice had brought the two Graces along simply because Charlotte had mentioned them and it sounded interesting.
"We're friends."
But Alice answered without hesitation.
And she flinched a little, caught off-guard by the shining gaze Claire directed at her.
Their images seemed to be moving in completely opposite directions.
.......
Well, not that I was complaining.
If anything, didn't it create a balance? Alice had no reason to be jealous of Claire, and Claire, for her part, wasn't jealous of Alice for having parents.
It felt like the conflict was sewn up before it could even begin.
Besides, it looked good in my eyes too. You know, there are those fanfics, aren't there? The ones that reverse relationships or swap genders. Given how many female characters this game had, a gender-swap would've made me spit blood, but I thought a relationship reversal like this wasn't bad at all.
"Ah, is that so."
But the student council president didn't look like he believed it at face value.
He might have even grasped Alice's and Charlotte's intentions to some degree. He would have grown up receiving a noble education in a strict aristocratic family, attending social parties like a proper noble.
"In that case...."
The student council president walked slowly to his seat.
And sat down with a leisurely attitude.
"Do you happen to know why we sent the invitation?"
"Was it not to recommend joining the student council?"
"It was."
The student council president smiled at Alice's words.
Among nobles, there was no reason to dislike someone who spoke this directly. They were the kind of people who wouldn't even realize they were openly displaying their own weaknesses.
Except, of course, that the other party was Alice.
"Would you happen to be interested?"
That question was probably directed at Claire and Leo sitting here as well. In the original story, Leo had followed Alice somewhat dazedly and received an invitation to join, prompting a choice. So I could assume this had just appeared a little earlier.
Back then, Alice and the student council president had been locked in a power struggle in various ways. That wasn't the case at this point in time, at least.
"May I ask which positions in the student council are still open?"
"Which positions—"
But the student council president's recommendation couldn't continue.
Knock, knock.
A knock sounded on the student council room door.
"Will you excuse me for a moment?"
The student council president asked in a polite voice.
When Alice gave a nod, the student council president also nodded toward a female student.
The person outside the door was probably someone the student council president had summoned beforehand...
... No, she wasn't.
"Oh."
The student council president's eyes widened ever so slightly. As if someone completely unexpected had appeared.
The invitation wouldn't have come only to us, so it wouldn't have been strange if another high-ranking noble had come visiting.
The problem, however, was that,
"Lady Crowfield."
Right. The person the broadly smiling student council president addressed was none other than Mia Crowfield.
For a count's daughter, she didn't seem to take very good care of herself. Still, since she was from one of the high-ranking noble houses, she apparently didn't neglect to wash.
But her black hair, which would have been glossy if properly cared for, was somewhat dry and lackluster. A few strands at the ends were slightly tangled.
And the most gloomy-looking part of that hairstyle was the long bangs that hung down roughly over her face.
Do you happen to know Sadako, that ghost from a Japanese horror movie?
She had the kind of hairstyle that looked as if she might crawl out of a black-and-white TV screen at any moment.
If this were just ordinary Earth and not a game-based world, there would surely be a face full of acne on poorly cared-for, rough skin beneath that hair. No matter how well you manage your hair, the oil inevitably comes through.
Of course, the face beneath Mia Crowfield's hair over there was that of a beautiful girl with a neat and refined image.
"......I received, the invitation...."
Her somewhat feeble voice was so gloomy that even I, spanning more than a decade of time, could immediately recall it. Perhaps 'distinctively gloomy' was the phrase for it. Not that it was a bad voice.
"Right. I sent the invitation."
The student council president, who had been using polite speech with us, immediately dropped the formalities. It wasn't that he abandoned etiquette. It was the kind of tone a dignified employer would use when addressing an ordinary clerk, as if it were only natural to do so.
"Ah, however...."
"It's fine."
As the student council president was about to tell Mia something with an apologetic expression, Alice cut him off mid-sentence.
"There shouldn't be a problem if she listens to the conversation here as well, should there?"
"That is true, however...."
Since we were talking about joining the student council, it didn't seem like there would be a problem for Mia Crowfield, who had visited for the same purpose, to listen in.
There was no problem, but...
That was only from the perspective of the student council president and the people listening to the talk. To be honest, I had a bit of a problem.
Uh, I mean, did Mia Crowfield come to the student council in the original story too?
Her grades were decent, and House Crowfield hadn't collapsed. Only the count had died. The territory remained, and no crime had ever been exposed. The Emperor had ordered that assassination for purely political reasons; it wasn't an act of righteous judgment.
If anything, with the power and territory intact, Mia Crowfield's personal value might have actually increased. If she married upon graduation or dropped out midway through the academy, something could be done about that vacant territory.
There was, I supposed, the method of seducing the widowed Countess Crowfield, but a woman of the countess's standing would hardly fall easily for such a transparent ploy.
Her face was hidden, but if you looked closely you could see her eyes through the gaps in her hair. She did have to see in front of her, so naturally part of her eyes were exposed when she looked this way.
And I was certain that Crowfield and I made eye contact.
She even stared at me quietly for a while.
"......."
Crowfield's information network wasn't the issue. The Emperor would have definitely made a backroom deal with the surviving countess after the count's death. He would have told her to keep her mouth shut and live quietly in exchange for turning a blind eye to what had happened in that territory and what kind of man the count was.
Told her not to oppose the Emperor politically. Because the next one to die would be her.
And if she chose to live quietly for that reason, the person who heard those words would hold a deep grudge against the Emperor.
And that grudge would be refined further as it passed to the next generation. Parents would only teach their children why they must hate the other party, and never say what weakness had gotten them caught.
If House Crowfield had done the same, they would undoubtedly harbor extremely hostile feelings toward me.
If they'd investigated diligently, they would have heard the rumors that I was one of the Emperor's children.
"...... Hm?"
Alice's gaze shifted between Mia Crowfield and me. If she could read my expression, it was only natural that she'd notice Mia's "behavior" as well.
"...... Those people over there."
"Pardon?"
At Mia Crowfield's sudden remark, the student council president looked somewhat taken aback.
She hadn't shown any courtesy to the imperial princess or the princess, and she hadn't exactly greeted him, either.
"Are those people also joining the student council?"
"......."
It was a gloomy voice, and some parts sounded somewhat indistinct, but I could guess the intent behind it.
Did she want to be in the same extracurricular club as me?
...... To approach me?
I examined Mia Crowfield's face once more.
This time our eyes met for certain.
And if my guess was correct, Mia Crowfield was glaring at me.