The evening of the ball, the private room in the girls' dormitory Lilienhaus was a bit noisier than usual. It was Alice's fault. She refastened the buttons on the back of her crimson dress three times. She adjusted her hair ornament, then adjusted it again. Standing before the mirror, she confirmed her own reflection. Yes, not frightening. Not the tear-swollen eyes like yesterday. Today—the resolve, that thing, was showing on her face. "[cold]The Bernhardt family is coming. I knew that." It was a soliloquy. No one was in the room. The information she'd confirmed relying on game memories occupied her mind. The feud between the Bernhardt and Claire families stemmed eighty years ago from the distribution of mining rights after the Northern Border War. The resentment of the side whose old ties were severed had been inherited to this generation. Just as Sebastian's report yesterday said. The exile order's activation had been prevented. But damaging honor on the public stage of the Kingdom Ball—in the Thousand Roses Hall of Weissrose Palace—that was a different story. If the game's knowledge was accurate, tonight would be that stage. A knock sounded. Once, twice. The door opened without hesitation. "[cold]That dress isn't bad." Belinda Vilmont entered with a commanding stance. Glossy blonde hair in a ponytail, a deep green dress. Her usually serious face was especially serious today, looking somehow like someone facing battle. "[sarcastic]...I'm not happy with that way of complimenting." "[cold]I'm complimenting you. Accept it." Alice gave a wry smile. She began walking down the corridor alongside Belinda. The stone corridor of Lilienhaus grew dim in the evening. Outside the window, the spring sky was dyed orange. For a while, both walked in silence. Their footsteps echoed on the stone pavement. Alice was aware of how loud her own heartbeat was. Nervousness. There was no point in hiding it. "[serious]No matter what happens tonight, I won't run away." Belinda spoke while looking ahead. Alice let those words roll around in her mind for a moment. She wanted to say thank you. But different words came out of her mouth. "[sarcastic]Your footsteps are too loud. That's what's bothering me." "[surprised]Huh? What's that?" Belinda's eyes widened. The next moment, laughter came out. A small laugh, as if she herself was surprised by it. Alice laughed quietly too. The two girls' laughter faded down the corridor, and they fell silent again. But this silence was a little lighter than before. --- Weissrose Palace—the royal residence with seven pointed spires modeled after white roses—the air changed upon entering. The Thousand Roses Hall. True to its name, rose decorations covering the walls and the light from twelve chandeliers illuminated five hundred invited guests. The moment Alice and Belinda entered, gazes gathered. All of them. All at once. (They came.) Alice continued walking while surveying the venue. Young ladies with smiles, male nobles tilting their cups, knight candidates in their uniforms. In one corner—in the middle of the venue, cold air stood. A man in his forties with finely groomed mustache stepped forward from the crowd. Gustav Bernhardt. The acting head of the Bernhardt family, the game's knowledge immediately told her. His face suited the word "cunning." "[serious]The young lady of the Claire family, Miss Alice Von Claire." His voice carried well. The murmur of the venue went silent. Gustav unfolded a letter in his hand. "[serious]I have one matter I wish to bring up at this gathering today." Alice kept her spine straight while her insides moved at full speed. It came after all. Game knowledge, you were right. Gustav began reading. Alice's venomous remarks recorded in the letter—the matter of calling young ladies' hair ornaments "five years out of fashion." The matter of saying to Lucas about his administrative duties, "Have you finished studying administration?" The matter of muttering "You can't beat gravity" the instant Edward dropped his wooden sword in the training grounds. It was all written there. In detail. Word for word. "For such a young lady of misconduct to be considered suitable for the royal social circle—" Beside her, Belinda took a small breath. The entire venue fell silent like water. Five hundred gazes were fixed on Alice. Alice felt her mind going blank while keeping her facial muscles still. She knew. She knew it would come. But when it actually came, it was still frightening. The next moment. From one corner of the venue, bright laughter rang out. "[laughing]Ah, that matter." The crowd parted. With soft, slightly disheveled silver hair, one eye blue and one eye red—heterochromia. Tall, with his usual gentle smile, Lucas Van Eldrich stepped forward. The crown prince. "[laughing]That was the one where I'd been piling up administrative documents, right? When she said it, I found it hilarious. Because it was actually true." He was composed. The crown prince himself had affirmed the criticized statement as a funny anecdote. The atmosphere of the venue wavered. Gustav read the next item. The matter of laughing at Edward dropping his wooden sword. At that moment, a figure came walking with long strides from the edge of the venue. Black hair with striking red streaks. A black eye patch. Tall with a serious face—Edward Folklow, his face red up to his neck, raised his voice. "[serious]That's my fault. It's the truth. My training was insufficient." Too honest. His fellow knight candidates all at once said "You!" and burst into laughter. Edward made a puzzled face at "What?" and that brought more laughter. Gustav's reading of the letter continued. A passage from a letter Alice had written to Lucas—"Your Highness is not suited for administration; wouldn't being the master of ceremonies at balls be your true calling?"—when this line was read, a voice came from a quiet corner of the venue. "[serious]There is always truth in Miss Alice's words." Silver-white short hair, transparent aquamarine eyes. Sebastian Alvin stood straight against the wall and spoke clearly. His voice was not loud. But not quiet either. Simply certain and unwavering. That quietness carried weight in reverse. The invited guests nearby stopped their whispers and turned their ears toward him. "[serious]Words that merely state fact as fact cannot be called misconduct." The moment Gustav tried to read the next item, Belinda stepped forward. "[cold]I was criticized too." Her blonde ponytail swayed smoothly. Her deep green eyes looked straight at Gustav. "[serious]'Your logic is correct, but correctness doesn't move people's hearts.' Because of those words, I changed how I think. I'm grateful for them." With each witness statement from those involved, the atmosphere of the venue changed. Each time Gustav read the next statement, laughter and applause erupted somewhere in the venue. Young ladies laughed, knight candidates nodded, elderly nobles gave wry smiles and set down their cups. The letter of impeachment gradually transformed into a collection of funny anecdotes. The composure drained from Gustav's voice. Each time he read, someone laughed. No one agreed with him. The atmosphere of the venue had completely reversed. Gustav stood holding the letter for a while, but eventually closed it quietly. He gave a bow and disappeared into the crowd. It was a retreat. Not stopped by anyone, simply quiet, isolated. The venue erupted in applause and laughter. Alice stood there, within that laughter. Something moved strangely in her chest. No matter how much she tried to suppress it, something kept welling up. She realized tears were about to come, and her mind worked quickly. —If I cry now, the venomous young lady's sign becomes a crybaby young lady. That's the worst. Absolutely not. I need to say something funny. Right now. "[sarcastic]...That letter became the Bernhardt family's black history before ours, didn't it?" Belinda nearby immediately returned with "That's right," and the two of them laughed in a slightly odd way. --- While the laughter still lingered in the venue, Lucas walked up to Alice. His right hand extended. "[gentle]Would you honor me with a dance?" He said only that, then lowered his voice tone slightly. "[gentle]You're not a villain. You're just interesting. I like you like that." The young ladies nearby all looked stunned. Alice's heart did something terrible. While maintaining a composed expression on her face, she extended her right hand— "[serious]Crown Prince Lucas, please wait." He came with long strides from the wall. Edward. "[serious]From my position as your guard, I have something to confirm—" "[gentle]I understand your efforts as a guard, Edward." Lucas returned with a composed smile. "[serious]It's not about guarding, what I'm trying to say is—" Edward tried to say something and got stuck. His face was red up to his neck. Looking both serious and embarrassed, about to explode from doing both at once. Sebastian gently pulled his sleeve. "[whispers]Let's go, Folklow." Quietly, gently, but firmly pulling Edward two steps away from the spot. Edward made a "why" face looking at Sebastian, but Sebastian kept looking ahead with an unbroken smile. Watching the two of them exit, Belinda stepped forward smoothly. "[cold]I'm next. That's a confirmed fact." "[gentle]After my dance finishes." "[angry]Where was it decided that you go first?!" "[sarcastic]You're all so loud!!" She shouted. A bit loudly. The nearby young ladies jumped back three steps. Alice cleared her throat and adjusted the hem of her crimson dress, then took the hand Lucas had extended. Her mouth was smiling slightly. She couldn't stop it herself. The dance began. In the center of the Thousand Roses Hall, under the light of chandeliers. In this country's most gorgeous place, where rose decorations covered the walls. Alice thought while dancing with Lucas. The name "villainess young lady" seemed to be separating from her just for tonight. That was happy. But also frightening. The separation of the name didn't erase the destruction ending. But—just for tonight. Just for tonight, this felt right. --- After the dance ended, Alice slipped through the crowd and went out onto the balcony. The spring night breeze touched her cheek. The scent of roses was thick. The roses planted in the palace gardens looked dimly white in the night darkness. After a while, footsteps sounded. Lucas came. "[gentle]You were especially beautiful tonight." "[sarcastic]I don't need social pleasantries." "[gentle]It's not a pleasantry." Lucas laughed. Alice searched for words to return and found none. She looked ahead silently. Next, Edward came. He came with a serious face. "[serious]I will continue to serve as your guard. Not as a duty, but as my own will." "[sarcastic]I've heard that line before." "[serious]I'll say it as many times as it takes." No hesitation. Alice gave a wry smile. Sebastian appeared quietly on the balcony. He handed Alice a single small piece of paper. "[serious]A list of official events where the Bernhardt family might move next. A continuation of our investigation." "[gentle]...Thank you." Sebastian bowed quietly. His face, which smiled with eyes that narrowed, was slightly softer tonight. Belinda came last and surveyed the four of them—Lucas, Edward, Sebastian, and Alice. "[serious]...Hey, what are you planning to do about this situation? I'm asking in front of the person involved." "[sarcastic]I don't know!!" Laughter erupted from all four at once. Alice laughed and realized her heart tonight was light. She placed her hand on the balcony railing and breathed in the scent of night roses. Light just for tonight. But—at the bottom of that light heart, the game's memory made a small sound. Chapter Two. The appearance of the true heroine. Having overcome the exile