Once the stars finally stopped spinning from that violent shaking and Lilia-san regained her composure, I sat her down to get a proper explanation of the situation.
According to her story, Lilia-san had been watching the ceremony from her VIP seat like anyone else when Eden-san reached out to her through some sort of telepathy. Apparently, the Goddess had "arranged" things so Lilia-san could visit my stall during the actual ceremony, supposedly to spare her the trouble of having to sneak out of the post-ceremony gala later.
That was certainly one way to look at it... I mean, Eden-san likely thought she was being considerate, but much like Shiro-san, the Gods of World Creation tended to be a bit detached from common sense. Still, since her intentions weren't malicious, it felt wrong to complain too loudly.
"...That’s certainly something. I mean, it might not be my place to say, but you really have a rough time of it."
"Yes... well, for the moment, perhaps. But I am absolutely terrified of what awaits me when I return to the venue."
It was a reasonable fear. The ceremony was a gathering of high-ranking international dignitaries; to prevent assassinations or terrorism, the area was locked down with layers of barriers and magic tools designed to block teleportation. The fact that Eden-san could bypass all of those security measures to pluck Lilia-san out of her seat and teleport her here was a testament to her divine power, but it was equally certain that Lilia-san would be the focus of everyone's scrutiny the moment she reappeared. She looked like her stomach was already doing knots just thinking about it.
"...Still, Lilia-san. Just a simple question, but what was the point of coming to the stall? I mean, I already handed over the accessories that were supposedly Eden-san's objective, so it’s not like there’s anything else here you need to buy, right?"
"To be honest, I am not entirely sure myself. Eden-sama simply told me to 'support Kaito-san's stall'... If her only goal was to get me here, then I suppose she achieved it the second I landed."
I’d already told Lilia-san about my inventory beforehand. Aside from Alice’s novelty goods, the ceramics and tea were things I’d made back at the house, so she knew all about them. If she wanted any, she could easily get them by asking Nebula. If that was the case, maybe she really was just sent here for a social call.
"...By the way, how was the ceremony? It was so crowded that we haven’t even dared approach the Central Square..."
"It was a disaster! Truly! A total disaster!!"
"Eh? Th-that bad?"
"The War King-sama made a sudden entrance, and it caused an absolute uproar!"
"..."
I felt like I understood the whole situation from that one sentence. Megiddo-san had promised he wouldn't cause trouble, but naturally, things had gone sideways. Or rather, he said he was just going to drop in for a greeting, but did he actually crash the ceremony while it was in progress...?
"Ah, and speaking of the War King, he brought Akane-san—the one he met back at the Maid Olympia—and another woman who seemed to be a fellow otherworlder. The two of them were drafted into the ceremony on the spot."
"Akane-san... and the other one is probably Kaori-san. Wait, those two were there too?"
I couldn't even begin to wrap my head around the situation. For starters, I had no clue why Megiddo-san was hanging out with Kaori-san and Akane-san. I knew they’d met here at my stall, but they were supposed to have gone their separate ways after that. Did they just happen to run into him again later?
"...Well, things sound incredibly chaotic over there. Lilia-san, why don't you just stay here until the ceremony ends?"
"...That is a very tempting proposal. While I cannot avoid being grilled at the gala later, I would be eternally grateful to escape being scrutinized at the actual ceremony... However, I would need a valid excuse..."
"Would it work if you just told them I held you back?"
"That would undoubtedly work."
If I was the reason she was delayed, I didn’t think anyone would dare complain, even if Lilia-san was late returning. Chris-san and the others would likely accept it. Apparently, my name carried quite a bit of weight among the nobility, and since Lilia-san was my fiancée, we could just say we’d lost track of time talking after her surprise visit. It felt like a plausible enough story.
"Then please, stay and take a break. If you tuck that ceremonial chair into a Magic Box, you shouldn’t be visible from the outside while you're back here, and it’s not like we have many customers right now anyway..."
"...You’re right. Thank you. I truly need a moment to calm my nerves—or rather, to steel my heart for the gala later. I will take you up on that offer."
It was clear Lilia-san had no desire to return to a venue where every eye would be on her. Accepting my suggestion, she stowed her chair and stepped into the back of the stall—joining Amel-san and me. The structure was actually quite spacious, featuring an elaborate design based on Amel-san’s specific requests; there was more than enough room for three people, with plenty of corners hidden from the public's view.
"...Sworn Friend, Duchess Lilia, I have but one question... Duchess Lilia, in what manner do you intend to return to the festival grounds?"
"...Now that you mention it, she’s right. Lilia-san, how are you actually getting back there?"
"......I haven't the slightest idea."
Faced with Amel-san’s perfectly reasonable question, Lilia-san simply tilted her head, her face fixed in an expression that defied description.