"…Princess Alice, you seem to be in a rather good mood."
"Of course! After all, I get to see Nero-nee and Yunyun again. And Kazuma Sato and Aqua are so amusing. It's surprising to see someone as composed and reliable as Lalatina looking so flustered in front of everyone."
"Indeed. Who would've thought that Sir Dustiness would show such a girlish side? It seems she's found herself quite an interesting party."
The act was going well—perhaps a little too well.
Even Claire, Alice's personal guard, only sensed something slightly off. Yet, she hadn't grown suspicious.
Nero, filling in for Alice, had intended to act perfectly to avoid embarrassing her. Ironically, this effort was too flawless, making Claire more puzzled than reassured.
Perhaps this was a case of trying a little too hard?
Then there was another issue...
"…Princess Alice, I understand that you hold Nero in great admiration, perhaps even reverence. She's a powerful warrior who's defeated four of the Demon King's generals. I've overheard people speculate that she could one day become the hero who defeats the Demon King. Even here in the royal capital, many admire her."
Claire's tone grew complex, as though she were holding something back. "It's admirable to emulate such a figure. Even I can find no fault in it. But… Your Highness… could you please not mimic Nero's catchphrases?"
"Mm?"
Claire's suggestion was entirely reasonable. However… this was a bit of a tall order.
Not even Nero herself had anticipated that her trademark "Umu!" would persist, even after switching bodies.
What a strange phenomenon...
As "Alice" raised her hand, her fingers brushed against the necklace on her neck.
This accursed thing had caused the current mess.
As expected of an artifact, her Magic Resistance skill had proven useless against it.
She'd initially planned to destroy it outright but was stopped by Alice, and then Claire had interrupted them.
Speaking of which...
"Claire, do you recall who presented this necklace to my brother?"
"Alice" looked at Claire. Previously, "Nero" hadn't been able to answer this question, so it lingered in her mind. Now she posed it again to Claire.
"Hm? Why do you ask, Princess Alice?" Claire paused, then frowned. "The one who presented the necklace was… wait, that's odd."
Claire's expression mirrored the confusion "Nero" had shown earlier. But "Alice" was unsurprised by this.
As expected, something was seriously wrong.
Think about it—this suspicious artifact had been presented to the royal family, yet no one questioned it. It had been passed to Alice without hesitation, and she wore it without a second thought.
"I'm sorry, Princess Alice. Allow me to investigate further. There should be records of any magic tools presented to the royal family."
"Umu. I'll leave that to you, Claire."
While she said this, "Alice" didn't hold much hope.
It felt as though an invisible hand had orchestrated everything, erasing abnormalities from people's awareness.
This wasn't just large-scale mental manipulation. It felt deeper, like the strings of fate itself had been plucked to rewrite reality.
This wasn't magic—it belonged to the realm of concepts and authorities. Such powers were divine in nature.
To think this incident might involve gods… or perhaps even a great demon.
"Princess Alice?"
Claire's voice brought "Alice" back to the present. She looked up and met her guard's concerned gaze.
"Ah, Claire… Sorry, I was lost in thought for a moment. Did you say something?"
Massaging her temples to ease her tension, "Alice" tried to refocus.
"It's about the neighboring country, Elrode, and… Your Highness's fiancé."
"…What did you just say?"
"'Alice's'" expression turned incredulous, as if asking, What nonsense are you spouting?
"What's the matter, Princess Alice? We've spoken about this before. Elrode has suddenly refused to provide financial support, and their attitude has been especially firm. You mentioned wanting to visit personally to discuss the matter. One reason for inviting Lady Nero and Miss Yunyun here was to ensure your safety during the trip."
"This is the first I'm hearing of this… No, wait. That is important, considering how wars devour money, resources, and manpower like insatiable beasts. But! Umu! I seem to have heard something even more pressing just now."
With her expression turning serious and her presence radiating authority, "Alice" demanded, "Fiancé… Tell me everything."
Her desire to know about this so-called fiancé overshadowed any concern about revealing her identity.
"Princess… Alice?"
Claire's mental gears spun at full speed, taking about three seconds before she cautiously ventured, "Wait… Are you… Lady Nero?"
"Set aside who I am for now."
Taking two steps forward, "Alice" grabbed Claire's collar and pulled her down to eye level.
"Explain this 'fiancé.' Alice is only 12 years old! Where did this fiancé come from?"
The kingdom Nero currently resided in, Belzerg, was the most militarily powerful among all nations. It was also the closest to the Demon King's castle.
Because of its location, Belzerg had been in constant war with the Demon King's army. If its defenses were breached, the other, weaker nations would stand no chance.
Thus, while other countries lacked strong armies, they provided financial support to Belzerg, understanding the principle of mutual survival.
Elrode, a neighboring kingdom renowned as a "gambling nation," was one such ally. Its economy thrived on its gambling industry, earning it the nickname "a country with nothing but money."
For years, Belzerg and Elrode maintained a mutually beneficial relationship. Elrode provided financial support, while Belzerg offered military assistance, fostering a "you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours" dynamic.
But recently, Elrode abruptly announced it would cease financial support to Belzerg.
Their excuse? "The treasury is empty, and the budget is tight"—a feeble, unconvincing explanation.
As for Alice's fiancé? He was none other than Elrode's crown prince and current ruler.
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T/N: I FORGOT ABOUT THE UMU's IM A FAILUREEE