Having parted ways with Kaito and the others, Eris and Cornelia were finally able to catch their breath... but as expected, Eris remained concerned about Cornelia’s state.
(At a glance, she seems fine. In fact, she even looks composed, but what is this? This indescribable anxiety... It’s as if I’m watching a thread on the verge of snapping, or a balloon filled with far too much air... No, I don't have the words to properly describe it, nor do I have any concrete proof.)
Although Eris felt an ineffable unease regarding Cornelia's current condition, putting it into words proved difficult.
Cornelia was calm; her speech and actions were not off, nor was she acting strange. If anything, she seemed even more composed than usual, but somehow... it felt like she had too much composure.
"...Cornelia-sama, you were together with a truly illustrious lineup—not just Kaito-sama, but also the Goddess of Fate and the World King. It must have been quite an ordeal. Have you accumulated any mental fatigue?"
"No, Fate-sama and Lilliwood-sama are both exceedingly merciful. They graciously engaged in conversation with me, so I feel I was able to deepen our friendship to a fairly solid extent."
Even when throwing out probing words, Cornelia remained completely calm. Her excitement wasn't oddly heightened, nor did she appear to be trying to escape reality.
Persuading herself that she was merely overthinking her lingering unease, Eris let a faint smile form on her lips.
"Is that so? To have become close enough to call those two by their names before I even realized it... I must express my admiration, Cornelia-sama. For me, I would be overcome with awe. Even if they gave their permission, calling them by name would require considerable resolve."
"...Calling them by name... resolve... Huh? Come to think of it, I... before I knew it..."
"U-Um? Cornelia-sama?"
"...W-Why was I being so familiar with those two...? N-Not only that, but acting so overly familiar with Kaito-sama as well...? Eh? Huh?...N-No, but..."
It was merely a trivial trigger, but it was also the start of an inescapable reckoning. The words Eris uttered poked a tiny pinhole into Cornelia's thoughts, like piercing a stretched, overinflated balloon... and all the realizations she had unconsciously suppressed came flooding back into her mind.
(Just what on earth was I doing? No matter how lenient they were, to casually call the Goddess of Fate and the World King by their names, and to hold such overly familiar—no, unseemly and shameless conversations with Kaito-sama...)
Like a mental flashback, the events that had transpired in the Forest Castle came rushing back. Proactively approaching and speaking with Fate and Lilliwood—figures one would usually find far too intimidating to even exchange words with—was something the normal Cornelia would never, ever do.
Furthermore, even though she was the eldest daughter, she was not the heir of the Sharon Count House, and her standing required her to take the count house's circumstances into account. As it was, her social standing had already skyrocketed merely through her interactions with Kaito, which was already giving her family a massive headache, yet she had foolishly stepped even deeper into such an extraordinary realm entirely on her own.
No, even so, if it had only been that, it might have been manageable. That had strictly been an interaction within the attraction, and fortunately, it had not been seen by other nobles. Of course, she would have to rack her brain over how to navigate her relationship with Fate and Lilliwood from here on, but as long as Cornelia kept it locked in her heart, it wouldn't become public knowledge.
(...Even if it was just a verbal promise, accompanying Kaito-sama if invited to an evening party? If Kaito-sama were to attend an evening party, it would draw an immense amount of attention, and if I accompanied him, people would conclude that I am receiving Kaito-sama's profound favor to a degree where excuses would be utterly impossible... N-No, not just that, what else did I say? Shamelessly asking Kaito-sama to personally guide me on otherworld playground equipment... Abababa...)
Reality finally caught up. The effect of the Invincibility Mode, which had relied on unconsciously shutting out any stomach-pain-inducing factors, wore off, and what arrived in its wake was a deluge of accumulated seeds of stomach pain... Cornelia's face turned noticeably pale, and a heavy cold sweat began to pour from her skin.
"C-Cornelia-sama?! What is the matter?! Pull yourself together..."
"A-Awawawa, I, I-I-I, wha-what on earth... ababababa..."
"Cornelia-sama?! Your complexion is terrible... Someone, find a place to rest!"
Seeing Cornelia begin to tremble, her face turning so stark white that it looked as if all blood had drained from it entirely, Eris panicked and hurriedly barked orders to the surrounding servants to secure a resting area.
However, it was too late. Overwhelmed by the rushing torrent of incoming realization, Cornelia's mind reached its absolute limit... and like a thread snapping with a sharp ping, her consciousness vanished... and Cornelia fainted, foaming at the mouth.
"Cornelia-sama?! This is... Ah, c-could it be?! She was unconsciously diverting her thoughts until just now? If that's the case... Arrange a place for her to rest immediately and contact the Sharon Count House. It will likely be impossible for Cornelia-sama to tour the park any further, so make preparations so she can return home as soon as she awakens..."
Realizing the true nature of the incongruity she had sensed earlier, Eris shouted out instructions while supporting the unconscious girl... feeling heartfelt pity for Cornelia, who would undoubtedly suffer from severe stomach pain for quite some time even after waking up...
Serious-senpai: "How pitiful... But man, seeing a scene like this really shows that, even though she gets stomach pains too, Eris is surprisingly tough in her own way... She has a lot of durability, you could say... Well, I guess that's why she gets thrown into things like the Festival of the Gods, though..."