The Great Hall of the Arclesia Empire’s castle was filled to the brim. A distinguished assembly, including the Supreme Gods and the Six Kings, had gathered for the post-ceremony party of the Founding Anniversary Festival.
However, Lilia—who had vanished mid-ceremony—was still missing. Empress Chris looked concerned, but with the party's start time fast approaching, she had no choice but to prepare for her opening remarks.
Right then, Fate, who was lounging on a floating cushion, twitched an eyebrow and sat upright.
"……Is Riri-tan cursed or something?"
"Hm? God of Fate, what on earth are—!?"
Chronoa was still tilting her head in confusion when, without so much as a ripple in the ambient magic, Lilia materialized in the middle of the ballroom. She appeared directly beside Empress Chris, just as the ruler was about to begin her opening speech.
With every eye in the room fixed on Chris for the address, Lilia's sudden appearance naturally commanded the undivided attention of every guest present.
Unfortunately, both Chris and Lilia were sharp-witted. Chris realized the gravity of the situation the moment Lilia appeared, and Lilia grasped it the instant she felt the weight of a thousand gazes.
Neither could do anything to change the situation. They exchanged a look of mutual, unspeakable despair and, as if on cue, turned their eyes toward the heavens in silent prayer.
But immediately after that, Lilia vanished again, only to reappear by Fate's side.
"Ah, sorry, sorry. I intended to teleport her next to me, but I missed the coordinates just a tiny bit~"
"……No, please do not worry about it."
To reiterate, Chris was brilliant. The moment she heard Fate's relaxed apology, she instantly understood the Goddess's intention.
Fate was implicitly claiming responsibility for Lilia's disappearance during the ceremony to protect her reputation. Following Chris's response, Fate stole a glance at Chronoa, who offered a slight nod before speaking up.
"Lilia, I apologize for imposing upon you to act as my messenger for my own convenience. It would have been problematic for a Supreme God like myself to depart the ceremony, so I tasked you—as the holder of my Main Blessing—to act as my proxy. I imagine the suddenness caught you off guard. For that, you have my regrets."
"!? N-Not at all! If I was able to be of service to Chronoa-sama, it is an honor greater than I deserve!"
In reality, Fate and Chronoa had anticipated some form of chaos. They had prepared this contingency specifically to shield Lilia from social fallout, ensuring their explanation reached every corner of the room through Fate’s Authority of Fate. By framing her absence as an errand for the Goddess of Time and her sudden return as a teleportation by the God of Fate, they had created an excuse no noble would dare question.
Lilia caught the thread of their plan instantly. She played along with a look of profound gratitude, masking her internal turmoil with professional poise.
"My apologies, Arclesia Emperor. We seem to have caused quite a stir."
"Not at all. Once again, please do not give it another thought. Now that all our guests have finally arrived, let the festivities begin."
Relief washed over Chris as she began her address. Meanwhile, Fate leaned in and spoke to Lilia in a voice pitched low for her ears only.
"That was quite the ordeal, Riri-tan. For now, it’s best if you stay close to us for a while. If you're with the Supreme Gods, no other noble will dare bother you, right? We'll let you off the hook once the atmosphere in the room has settled down a bit."
"Indeed," Chronoa added. "This will prevent a mob from descending upon Lilia immediately. Dealing with sporadic questions later will be much more manageable, though I'm sure it will still be taxing."
"I cannot thank you enough," Lilia whispered. "Fate-sama, Chronoa-sama... my heart is so much lighter now."
While relieved that a total disaster had been averted, Lilia gently rubbed her stomach, already bracing herself for the long evening ahead.
Serious-senpai: "Ah, I see. Since the gap in power is so vast, the average noble wouldn't even dream that Eden was the culprit. Hearing a Supreme God took the blame makes perfect sense to them. Plus, since Lilia has Chronoa's Main Blessing, everyone knows she has divine connections... Fate’s growth is really something else."