Before dawn broke, Hina was already at her desk. Her head felt clear from having cried the night before. It was strange to say, but she really did feel that way. Spread across the desk were copies of the forged love letters. The two sheets that Marianne had posted around the academy. It had taken some effort to obtain them, but now they were in her hands. (Alright. As a game player who's completed every route, let me think about this seriously.) She stared intently. The handwriting. The paper quality. The ink color. And——the wax seal. The crest of the De Croire Duchy was pressed into it. On red wax, a five-petaled rose and crossed sword——that crest. Vanessa's family seal. (……Wait.) Hina tilted her head. How many times had she seen Vanessa use a wax seal in the game? She'd seen it in every route. So she knew——the De Croire family's sealing wax tools were kept under strict lock in a desk drawer in the administrative building's study. A drawer Hina hadn't opened even once since her transmigration. (Hold on, hold on, hold on. This is totally exploitable!!) She stood up, still wearing Vanessa's expressionless face. She pulled out a notepad and quickly jotted down notes. Who could have taken the wax seal? The mansion's servants. Or someone who obtained the same wax outside the estate. But the wax used for the ducal family's seal was custom-made. She'd read that in the game settings. The source and manufacturing method were limited. Hina folded the paper three times and slipped it into her pocket. "[excited]Alright. Let's go see Leon." The morning corridor was still dim. 　　　＊ The Grand Library Bibliothèque opened at seven in the morning. Librarian Elsa narrowed her eyes slightly when she saw Hina at the entrance. She was a person who never said much, but the fact that she let her in meant she was tacitly approving it, Hina thought. Third floor, east end. A two-toned head of wisteria and white appeared beyond a mountain of books. Leon was already awake. Or maybe he'd been up all night. His hand turning notebook pages showed no sign of stopping. "[serious]Leon." "The twelfth system of phase-conversion equations appeared. Take a look." (Ah, he's not going to listen to what I have to say.) "[serious]I'll look at it later. But I need you to hear something first." Leon's hand stopped. When Hina pulled out the memo from her pocket and unfolded it, Leon set down his pen. He read it. Three seconds flat. "The wax source." "[serious]Right. The wax used for the De Croire family seal should be custom-made, and——" "Wax composition varies by source." Fire ignited in Leon's eyes. It was the same as before. The exact same gleam in his eyes as when Hina had pointed out the error in phase-conversion calculations in the library. "The principle is the same as the technique used for parchment source authentication in ancient documents. The composition ratio of beeswax changes with the flora of the beekeeping region. The beeswax from Fortine in De Croire territory and beeswax from other regions——can be distinguished." Even as he spoke, he was already heading toward the bookshelves. Books came cascading down. (Leon actually listened to my entire explanation!? No wait, there's an avalanche of books!!) Hina hurried to catch them. "[surprised]Whoa, careful——!" "Not dangerous. I calculated the drop. Sit down. I'll have results in two hours." (Two hours!? He calculated the drop!? There's so much I want to complain about!!) But somehow, Hina felt happy. Watching Leon pull out serious measurement equipment and set a fragment of wax from the letter into a microscope-like device——she thought, this person is really serious. She remembered his frustrated face when the handwriting analysis results were buried by institutional walls. He'd been trying to prove it again ever since then. She could tell he was driven by intellectual curiosity. But at the same time, he was using his mind for her sake. (……I kind of want to say thank you.) Feeling warmth bloom in her chest, Hina sat down beside him to wait. Two hours later. Leon placed a paper with numbers written on it in front of Hina. "The composition ratio of the beeswax from Fortine in De Croire territory doesn't match this seal's wax. What it matches is——the beekeeping region in Rivière Marquessate territory, Amble District." "[surprised]Rivière……!" The Rivière Duchy. One of the five great ducal families, controlling maritime trade. And the home of dorm leader Priscilla De Rivière. If Marianne had——backing from someone. "The evidence is complete. All that's left is to present it at the ball." He said it so casually. Like he was saying "the calculation is finished." (Can't you say thank you before the calculation formula!? This guy!?) "……Thank you, Leon." When Hina spoke, Leon went quiet for a moment. Then he closed his notebook. "No need for thanks. It was just interesting." (He's embarrassed. Definitely embarrassed. So this person does have a face he makes when he's embarrassed.) While internally admitting "that was kind of cool," Hina carefully put the analysis results in her pocket. 　　　＊ At the same time, a different battle was happening in the academy corridors. This was something Hina heard about later. Canon was running around the academy alone. She'd compiled a list of students who'd given false testimony under Marianne's threats, tracing back through her memories of watching Hina's actions from up close since the first episode——and went to talk to each one individually. The first three wouldn't open their doors. They said they were scared. The fourth one closed the door the moment she saw her face. Still, Canon knocked on the next door. "Do you remember the day when Lady Vanessa helped me when I fell? That person has changed. Or perhaps she was always like that. But——it's not the game scenario or rumors that know this. It's all of you standing right here." One person looked up. From there, things slowly began to change. When Hina heard about it later, her nose stung. Helping Canon when she fell——there was no calculation behind it. Her hand had just moved on instinct. But that single moment had rippled outward and returned here today. The inhabitants of this world are real, Hina confirmed once again. Not game characters. Real people with real emotions. 　　　＊ In the evening, as Hina walked down the dorm corridor, heavy footsteps approached from behind. She turned to see Claude standing there in his knight's uniform, his expression serious. Tall, well-built, with eyes that were too straightforward. He looked like he was about to say something. "[serious]Today, I was recorded as having disobeyed orders by my superior officer." "[surprised]Huh, wait——does that mean" (Is that okay!? Your career!? For the knight order!?) "[serious]But I came back anyway." Hina couldn't say anything. "Thank you……but was that alright?" Claude didn't hesitate. Not even a millimeter. "[serious]I decided to serve justice, not the prince." Silence. Hina's mind couldn't catch up with comebacks. No, before it could, a different emotion arrived. (……That's too cool, I can't say anything.) She really couldn't say anything, so she just said "Thank you" in a voice that trembled slightly. Claude nodded. He already looked like he was thinking about his next move. One by one. Then another. Someone was moving seriously for her. That weight was slowly, surely melting away the loneliness inside Hina. 　　　＊ Deep night. Hina had spread documents across her dorm room desk. She was doing a final check of tomorrow's pre-ball preparations. Leon's wax analysis results, Canon's compiled testimony list, Claude's statement——everything was there. Now it was just a matter of how to move on the day of the ball itself. As she was thinking and flipping through documents, there was a knock on the door. Wondering who it could be at this hour, she stood up and opened it. In the corridor stood Alphonse. Without an escort. Alone. (What.) (Wait a second.) (The prince in the girls' dorm at midnight!? This is definitely going to be a problem if we get caught!!! Dorm rules, status, everything!!!) While Hina stood frozen, unable to speak, Alphonse silently held out a stack of documents. His deep sapphire eyes looked at her quietly. "[gentle]……The Marquess of Rivière was embezzling the academy's equipment purchase funds. These are the transaction records." Hina took the documents. Just skimming through them, she could tell they were genuine. Dates, amounts, transaction partners——everything was there. "[surprised]How did you……get these?" "[gentle]I can't move publicly as a prince. But——with these, Marianne's backing will crumble." There was a pause. Alphonse's lips moved just slightly. "[gentle]……I couldn't silently watch you be destroyed." Something in Hina's chest pulsed heavily. She remembered the corridor three days ago. Passing by, stopping, that silence where neither could speak. That time Alphonse had no words——but tonight, he'd come with an answer in action instead of words. Canon's efforts made her happy. Claude's made her happy. Leon's made her happy. All of it was truly, genuinely happy. But——this one landed in her chest with a different weight. Her hand holding the documents trembled slightly. Her face was hot. Her voice wouldn't come. The person she'd thought was a game capture target. The person she'd thought was the First Prince of Premiera Kingdom. Had come here alone, without an escort, in the middle of the night. "[sad]……Thank you." Her voice didn't come out right. Alphonse heard it and nodded slightly. With just that, he began walking down the corridor. "[gentle]I hope it goes well tomorrow." His back didn't turn. The flash of his earring caught the hallway light as he receded into the distance. The door closed quietly. Hina stared at the closed door, unable to move for a while. (Ah.) It took less than a second to admit it. (I like him. I really like him.) Without excuses, that's what she thought. Not because he was a game capture target. Not because she was a reincarnated former high school girl. That wasn't it——just, she liked this person. The center of her chest filled with something warm and painful and strange all at once. 　　　＊ With all preparations complete, Hina stood before the window. The night city of Blanchefleur spread out below. White stone buildings dotted with magical lights. Tomorrow was the Star Light Festival——the winter solstice night, the largest ball in the Premiera Kingdom. Marianne was trying to recreate the exact same scenario as the game's destruction ending. But this time would be different. There was evidence. There were allies. And——there was her own will. As Hina quietly steeled her resolve, in that moment. A faint voice echoed from deep in her chest. Vanessa's voice. The lonely girl she'd met in a dream——was speaking to her for the first time with intention. ——If it's you……you can change my story. Hina looked at her reflection in the mirror. Chestnut-colored wavy long hair. Golden eyes. A small mole at the corner of her lips. Vanessa's face. But now it felt like her own face too. "[serious]Yeah. I'll change it. Definitely." She spoke it aloud, small but clear. Two souls faced the same direction for the first time that night. Outside the window, the city lights shone quietly. Just a little more until tomorrow's ball. Marianne would begin her condemnation speech before the crowd. With all eyes gathered, could she make the collected evidence work effectively——that was the next question.