World King Liliwood Yggdrasil was widely regarded as the most mild-mannered of the Six Kings. At the very least, the chances of incurring her wrath and being subjected to a reprimand or punishment were slim.
However, whether she was someone one could converse with at ease was a different matter entirely. Liliwood was a member of the Six Kings who maintained deep ties primarily with the Kingdom of Sinfonia, having very little interaction with the nobility of the Arclesia Empire.
Consequently, if Eris—the heir of the Hamilton Marquis House, a family of immense influence within the Empire—and Cornelia, the eldest daughter of the Sharon Count House, were to establish a connection with her, it would become a massive topic of conversation in the social circle.
Eris’s name, in particular, had been surfacing far too frequently of late, and her opportunities to attract envy and spite were on the rise. Of course, as the heir of the Hamilton Marquis House, Eris was a talented woman of exceptional caliber.
She could easily brush aside those who sought to undermine her out of jealousy. Nevertheless, having her interactions with beings close to the top of the world increase so relentlessly was a source of severe stomach pain.
Earlier that day, she had already suffered when she discovered that Fate had taken enough notice of her to remember her name—even if it had taken the goddess a moment to recall it. To encounter the World King so soon after was a cruel follow-up.
Ideally, she hoped Kaito would simply keep the conversation to a casual chat and not turn the focus toward her... but unfortunately, even Eris herself suspected that the chances of that were low.
As if to confirm her fears, Tilutania called out to Liliwood the moment the conversation between the King and Kaito reached a natural pause.
"Liliwood-sama! This is Eris-san!"
"Ah, yes. I have heard much about you from the others, and I saw you during Kaito-san’s birthday celebration, but this is our first time speaking directly. It is a pleasure to meet you. I am Liliwood Yggdrasil."
Following Tilutania's lead, Liliwood offered a gentle smile as she introduced herself to Eris. By taking the initiative to introduce herself, she was implicitly granting Eris permission to do the same. Sensing this intent, Eris straightened her posture and performed a flawless, elegant bow.
"I offer my greetings to the Merciful Spirit King. I am Eris Dia Hamilton, heir of the Hamilton Marquis House of the Arclesia Empire. It is a profound honor to be granted the privilege of greeting the great World King-sama in this place. I am deeply grateful for the exceptional consideration Miyama Kaito-sama always shows me, and for the kindness I have received from Tilutania-sama and the other members of the Seven Princesses through that connection."
"Thank you for the polite greeting. As a friend of Kaito-san, I personally hope to build a good relationship with you as well. May I call you Eris-san?"
"Yes, of course."
"My thanks... Please, you may call me Liliwood as well."
"I gratefully accept Liliwood-sama’s kindness."
As expected of the heir to a high-ranking noble family, her greeting was delivered with such composure and grace that Kaito and Tilutania, watching nearby, looked on with impressed expressions.
Naturally, she was merely maintaining a perfect facade. Internally, she was struggling to endure a wrenching stomach pain brought on by intense tension and humility.
Only a few present truly understood the state of Eris’s heart: Eris herself; Lilia and Cornelia, who shared the same affliction; and Lilirie, who was constantly reading the surrounding surface consciousness.
However, Lilirie saw no reason to intervene. It was true she could sense that Eris was suffering from stomach pain due to her nerves and feelings of inadequacy.
Yet, from Lilirie’s perspective, such a reaction was only natural. Liliwood was one of the pillars at the peak of the Demon Realm and the great King who ruled over them. Therefore, when standing before her, feeling a sense of awe or tension was an entirely appropriate response. If anything, Lilirie viewed it as a sign of proper respect for the King, which only served to improve her opinion of the girl.
Similarly, regarding Cornelia, who was praying that Liliwood wouldn't address her, Lilirie felt that her trepidation was perfectly normal and saw no issue with it.
In reality, however, there was someone within the World King Faction who truly understood the plight of those suffering from stomach pain.
...Eris-chan seems quite overwhelmed. I wonder if her stomach is starting to hurt? I’m so worried... And that girl over there... um, I haven’t met her before, but she looks even more nervous, like she’s about to burst into tears. I feel like I should say something to help her relax...
Indeed, it was Rose Princess Rosmiel. Due to her extreme shyness, she was keenly sensitive to the mental stress and tension others felt when communicating, and she could sense that Eris and Cornelia were in pain.
She felt she ought to offer some kind of support, particularly to Cornelia.
...I-If only we’d met before...
But of course, there was no way the cripplingly shy Rosmiel could initiate a conversation with Cornelia on their first meeting. In fact, she estimated it would take another few months before she could even speak comfortably with Eris. Unfortunately, she was incapable of following through on her concern.
Or rather, her concern backfired entirely.
H-Hieee! W-Why? Why is Rosmiel-sama glaring at me? Did I do something rude... something to offend her? I’ve heard that Rosmiel-sama is incredibly difficult to please... W-W-W-What should I do?
While Rosmiel intended to keep a worried eye on her, her expression had completely frozen because of the pressure of the first meeting. To Cornelia, it appeared that Rosmiel was staring her down with a fixed, piercing gaze. It was a cruel irony that Rosmiel’s silent concern only served to sharpen the pain in Cornelia’s stomach.