The conversation about Lilia unfolding before her eyes felt distant, as if she were hearing it from afar. Cornelia desperately tried to process the situation, her thoughts struggling to keep pace with reality.
(I was invited to the amusement park through the Sharon Trading Company's connections, and since Eris-sama was also invited, we decided to stay together. I had prepared myself for the possibility of encountering Kaito-sama. I even tried to keep things light with some optimistic chatter with Eris-sama, but given my track record, I should have known we’d run into him... But how did that lead to me receiving a temporary blessing from the Goddess of Fortune?)
She had braced herself for meeting Kaito. However, she couldn't have possibly predicted that Fate would happen to show up, notice the blessings on Eris and Cornelia, and then command Fortune—who just happened to be with her—to bestow a temporary blessing on the spot. That was asking for the impossible.
(The Goddess of Fate and Kaito-sama probably thought it wouldn't be an issue since some royalty and high-ranking nobles receive temporary blessings from high-ranking gods... but there are problems. Many... so many. To begin with, even among high-ranking nobles, temporary blessings from high-ranking gods are usually reserved for the heads of houses who lead entire factions, like His Excellency Marquis Hamilton...)
Indeed, while it was true that high-ranking nobles occasionally received temporary blessings from high-ranking gods, it was a privilege reserved for a mere handful of the most powerful elites—and even then, only those of the head-of-house class.
Cornelia was the daughter of a count. In the grand scheme of noble society, she was certainly a high-ranking noble, but her standing was clearly below that of a duke or marquis. Furthermore, Cornelia wasn't even the heir to her house.
(Eris-sama has already been announced as the next head of the Hamilton Marquis House, so there is at least a foundation for her to receive a blessing from a Supreme God. But in my case, even though I'm the eldest daughter, I'm not the successor... and with the matter involving the Victor Trading Company, I'll likely become independent in the future. Even with Eris-sama, Marquis Hamilton, and Her Majesty Chris acting as my backers... this is going to cause quite a stir. I’ll have to consult my father and brother as soon as I get home. If possible, I can only pray that no more incidents occur that further inflate my social standing.)
Thanks to her association with Kaito, Cornelia’s value was skyrocketing. From the perspective of other nobles, she was an extraordinarily enticing prospect—someone with immense social capital who was neither an heir nor engaged.
Marquis Hamilton and Chris were currently acting as a buffer, but Cornelia still struggled to deal with the many suitors who indirectly pressured her for an engagement while dancing around direct language.
This temporary blessing from Fortune would only drive her value higher. Moreover, since this was happening at an amusement park filled with other invited guests and their numerous attendants, keeping it a secret was out of the question.
Of course, receiving a blessing was a magnificent honor, and she wasn't lying when she said she felt privileged. Still, she couldn't be blamed for wishing that if luck were truly on her side, it would somehow resolve this stressful situation for her.
"…Cornelia-san? You look a bit pale. Was receiving a blessing so suddenly a bad thing?"
"Oh! No, not at all. I am deeply honored and truly grateful for such wonderful consideration, but… truthfully, to my shame, I was just thinking about external noble politics. I expect the number of nobles trying to force a connection with me will increase, so things are likely to get a bit hectic…"
"Ah, I see… It must be a nightmare if you start getting flooded with letters and things like that."
Cornelia wasn't as skilled as Eris at the social art of maintaining a perfect facade or pivoting her emotions, but that lack of polish worked in her favor. Kaito, sensing her distress through his sympathy magic, offered a word of concern.
She didn't want to explicitly admit she was terrified of handling a deluge of political marriage proposals, so she kept her answer vague. However, hearing her response made Kaito recall the ordeal Lilia had gone through.
He remembered Lilia being buried under a mountain of correspondence and run ragged immediately after receiving Chronoah’s blessing. He concluded—not incorrectly—that Cornelia was dreading a repeat of that ordeal.
(Lilia-san had a really rough time back then, so it's no wonder Cornelia-san is worried… I want to help her somehow, but since there are noble social obligations, it's not like the problem goes away just by telling people not to send letters. Unless there's some convenient way to shut out only the letters from people Cornelia-san doesn't want to deal with, it's going to be difficult…)
Kaito’s desire to help Cornelia was sincere. There was no trace of malice in his heart; his wish was born of 100% Goodwill.
And that wish...
(…Heehee. As expected, my beloved child is so kind. I suppose I have no choice. For the sake of my beloved child, this mother shall step in!)
...summoned an incredibly dangerous person.
Serious-senpai: "Why, of all people, does the most dangerous one of all have to pop up?! Cornelia isn't even 'your child,' and you barely even know her, so there’s no reason for you to interfere... Why does a threat of this magnitude just keep spawning?!"
Machina: "…Well, I haven't had many turns lately, so I was bored…"
Serious-senpai: "That’s your reason?!"