Chapter 35

As the knock was answered, the door slowly opened, and even Mary, who had been considering fleeing, involuntarily stiffened her face.

Inside this room were undoubtedly the rulers at the top of the country. Although the King and Queen were absent, those present were the ones who held the authority to sway the nation. Even as the daughter of the Albert family, Mary, who was not an heir, could not stand up to them no matter how much she tried.

The thought of facing such a gathering sent a chill through her, and in her confused mind, she tried to figure out how to escape...

"Miss Mary!"

Alicia, who had burst into tears and clung to her, made Mary's eyes widen.

"Miss Mary, what should I do...! I don't know what to do...!"

Alicia, still clinging to her, sobbed uncontrollably. Mary, too, was at a loss for what to do. Normally, she should have comforted her by gently patting her shoulder, but she couldn't do such a friendly thing, and more importantly, in this situation, Mary couldn't remain calm. If possible, she wanted to peel Alicia off and bow her head with Addy to leave the room immediately.

"Hey, calm down..."

"Miss Mary, please, I beg you, stay by my side. I'm scared, and Aunt hasn't arrived yet, but everyone is moving forward with the discussion, and I don't understand what's happening...!"

"Me, stay here...?"

No way, Mary thought as she looked around the council room. Although the King and Queen were absent, the rulers and authorities of the country were staring at her intently. Even her father, whom she was used to seeing, exuded an oppressive presence in this setting, and she couldn't even meet his gaze, let alone speak to him. He was not just her father but the current head of the Albert family, the second most powerful authority after the royal family.

Moreover, due to a lack of seats, prominent scholars and representatives of various families lined the walls, and the heavy atmosphere and their gazes made even Mary, the daughter of the Albert family, feel crushed.

In such a setting, a few chairs were placed facing the dignitaries. Imagining herself sitting there made Mary shudder. No way. It was impossible. It felt like being a frog in front of a snake... no, a tadpole thrown into a swarm of giant snakes. She couldn't endure even a few minutes.

Indeed, Patrick, who was sitting opposite them, looked visibly pale. His usual composure was nowhere to be seen, and it was understandable given the people he was facing. Rather, it was impressive that he had managed to keep his sanity so far. The cold and heavy atmosphere in the room was such that any ordinary man would have succumbed to the pressure and switched sides to the interrogators, even abandoning Alicia.

Seeing Mary and Addy, Patrick's expression slightly relaxed. The look of relief, as if he had gained an ally, made Mary inwardly reject the idea.

Stop it, this is no joke.

I don't belong in a place like this. I have no connection to the royal family, and I'm not even the heir to the Albert family.

So stop it, don't pull on my sleeve, I have no obligation to sit there!!

"Alicia, I..."

"Everyone, I'm the princess... but, it's not true, I didn't steal the royal seal, I couldn't have done such a thing..."

Alicia's incoherent pleas reflected the chaotic state of the council. Even the highest council couldn't determine the identity of the suddenly appearing princess, especially one from the countryside. Of course, with the involvement of various ambitions and desires, some might be trying to take advantage of this turning point, regardless of the truth.

Therefore, Mary, who wanted to leave this place, tried to find a way out... and noticed that Alicia's hand, which was gripping her dress, was trembling.

Of course. Alicia, who had thought she was just a commoner, had to attend the noble-only Caralia Academy and had just started to get used to the life when this incident occurred. Surrounded by people she had once thought were out of her reach—especially with their stern faces—being accused of being a princess would make any young girl cry. Mary might have cried too if she were in her place.

Because she understood this, Mary couldn't shake off Alicia. She wasn't heartless enough to abandon her and flee—no matter how much she aimed to be a villainess and said mean things, she was still a young girl—and yet, she wasn't pure-hearted enough to embrace her in return.

Moreover, Alicia was wearing the bracelet from that day, which made a jingling sound every time Mary tried to push her away, as if it were resonating with the one hidden in her pocket. It was just a cheap trinket, but why did it feel like it was in sync with the other one?

"I don't know anything about being a princess... The royal seal is just a charm, Aunt and the orphanage teachers said so... I couldn't have stolen it..."

Please believe me, Alicia pleaded, her eyes filled with tears, looking up at Mary. Her trembling, tear-filled eyes seemed like they would break if Mary uttered a single word of doubt. Staring back at those eyes, Mary couldn't even nod.

With a face resembling the Queen and the purple eyes inherited by the royal family, and the royal seal she was given when she was taken away... everything matched the game. Based on her memories, there was no doubt that Alicia was the princess. But, on the other hand, Mary's certainty was based on a game, and not just any game, but one she had played in her past life, which was far from something she could say out loud.

Moreover, the game itself was no longer following its original path. The most significant deviation was herself.

Maybe it's not following the game.

Maybe Alicia is not the princess, and she just ended up in the same position as in the game for some other reason, like being a relative of the royal family or being adopted by the royal family... The uncertainty bubbled up, and Mary looked up at Addy, who stood beside her, with a confused expression. He, too, seemed unsure of what to do, with a tense look on his face.

Of course, given his status, it was natural. In this room—excluding the nervous maids in the corner—he was the lowest in rank.

What should I do, I'm not confident.

I'm suddenly unsure if Alicia is really the princess as the game suggests. Is it right to rely so much on the game's memory? Especially when I myself am becoming an irregular, the opposite of the game's path...

Thinking this, Mary touched her skirt... and the bracelet hidden underneath.

It was an official "DraSchool" merchandise item that didn't appear in the main story. It wasn't because "the game's Mary Albert followed the game's path," but simply because Mary had received it from Alicia.

In the first place, Mary herself didn't care about the game's Mary or Alicia.

She didn't want to become a villainess, and she was only interested in the downfall of the character. Dissolving her engagement with Patrick wasn't because of the game; she didn't cling to him as much as the game's Mary did. She just thought they would end up engaged, and if he chose another woman, she had no reason to be angry or interfere.

The same went for Alicia. Even if she were the protagonist of "DraSchool," Mary had no reason to hate her. Even if she tried to charm all the characters, it was none of Mary's business.

Mary Albert was not the game's villainess. She had no intention of becoming one, nor did she want to deliberately avoid it.

She was only interested in the character's downfall, and to be honest, she had no interest in the game from her past life, or even in herself from that life.

She was using the memories, but she didn't care who the game's Mary liked or what she expected from the game.

After all, she was just a clumsy lady in the screen.

Neither her past self nor the game's Mary had any reason to involve herself.

I am myself. I received the bracelet.

So, the Alicia in front of me...

Thinking this, Mary firmly grabbed the shoulder of the still crying Alicia...

"Stop crying, you country girl!"

The frozen atmosphere in that moment was indescribable.

But if she fled or tried to dodge, the name Mary Albert would be ruined—there was no escape anyway—so she steeled herself and tightened her grip on Alicia's shoulder.

"I don't care if you're the princess, but your country girl smell won't change! Stop crying and spreading your country girl smell in this sacred council room, it's disgraceful!"

"Yes...!"

"And Patrick! Why are you cowering? You fell in love with this country girl, not the princess! You were so captivated by her country girl smell and her boldness in stepping into other people's territory that you were ready to abandon your family name!"

"Mary..."

"I was once your fiancée, even if the engagement was dissolved. Don't show me such a pitiful face!"

After scolding the two, Mary walked confidently through the council room and sat in an empty chair, facing the dignitaries and elegantly bowing her head.

"I apologize for the unseemly display. Please continue your discussion."

Of course, the council didn't resume, and a heavy, awkward atmosphere lingered.

But Patrick and Alicia, who had sat back down next to him, looked somewhat pleased, nodding at each other as if reaffirming their resolve.

As for Mary herself,

"I'm not just facing a downfall, I'm on a direct path to the execution grounds for disrespect..."

She was pale, her earlier bravery gone.

Having cut such a bold figure in front of the dignitaries, if Alicia were confirmed to be the legitimate princess, it would be a crime of disrespect. Even if she weren't, she had disrupted the council. Moreover, she had repeatedly used the word "country girl" in this sacred place, which was surely unforgivable, even for a daughter of the Albert family.

"I just lost my temper..."

Mary's words sounded like those of an impulsive criminal. Addy, who had been frozen in shock at his master's behavior, suddenly seemed to understand something.

"Excuse me!"

He bowed deeply, his voice echoing throughout the council room, and sat down next to Mary. Despite being just a servant and the lowest in rank in the room, he sat down boldly, even though there were empty seats and the scholars and nobles were standing.

Mary, surprised by this, called out, "Addy...?"

"What are you thinking, you..."

"I said I would follow you no matter what."

"Y-Yes, but..."

"Even to the execution grounds, I will follow you."

Addy's awkward smile made Mary's eyes widen in surprise for a moment, and she narrowed her eyes, smiling back.

"What a foolish man."