It was a known fact that among the trio of close friends—Lilia Albert, Sieglinde, and Lunamaria—it was generally Lunamaria who acted as the group's brain.
Not only was she sharp-witted, but her powers of deduction were exceptional. After scanning the venue and observing the guests' movements with a vague sense of unease, Lunamaria arrived at a conclusion.
"Well then, how about we go offer some simple greetings to our acquaintances and get something to eat?" Lilia suggested.
"I'm afraid it won't be that simple for you, Milady," Lunamaria replied.
"Pardon?"
Lilia had spoken with a certain degree of confidence, but Lunamaria met her gaze with a look that bordered on pity. Lilia’s expression faltered for a moment before she forced a smile back onto her face, trying to brush off her growing apprehension.
"What are you talking about, Luna? I have nothing to do with—"
"I've felt a vague dread for a while now, but the reason has finally come into focus," Lunamaria interrupted. "It's clear now. To destroy your stomach on a daily basis, Miyama-sama periodically inflicts you with bouts of stomach pain."
"Now hold on, it’s not as if Kaito-san does it on purpose..." Sieglinde chimed in with a mild correction.
Lunamaria ignored the interruption and continued with a solemn expression. "However, while Miyama-sama serves as the source of your stomach pain, he has also been acting as your most powerful breakwater."
"W-What do you mean by that?"
"Let’s look at the facts. Currently, you are likely the most famous noble in the Kingdom of Sinfonia. Even without that title, you are a rare genius among humankind, having reached Count-class combat power in a staggeringly short time. Even setting aside the Blessing of the Goddess of Time, many high-ranking entities took an interest in you during that previous battle in the God Realm. I imagine many of the Six Kings' Executives, who already interact with the Six Kings, have been eager to speak with you at least once."
Lilia had a habit of being overly optimistic, but she was by no means slow. She caught Lunamaria’s drift immediately, and the color began to drain from her face.
"In fact, I believe many have wanted to speak with you for quite some time," Lunamaria continued. "However, whenever someone considers visiting your mansion in the Human Realm, the presence of Miyama-sama’s mansion next door looms large. They could hardly visit the neighbor of someone so favored by the Six Kings without also greeting him. They likely held back to avoid being a nuisance... or perhaps Alice-sama directly imposed some sort of restriction."
"Now that you mention it," Sieglinde noted, "aside from the people Kaito-san personally brings along, no Six Kings' Executive has actually visited Lili’s mansion."
It was unnatural when one really thought about it. Lilia’s name was well known in the Demon Realm, and many high-ranking demons were fascinated by a talent capable of reaching Count-class in less than twenty years. It wouldn't be surprising if individuals like Epsilon or Kong of the Five War Generals—who had yet to interact with Lilia—harbored a strong curiosity about such a powerhouse.
Yet, no such executive had ever requested an audience at the Albert mansion. The only exception was Fafnir, who visited regarding the Wyvern Service. Just as Lunamaria suspected, it was highly probable that Alice had taken steps behind the scenes.
"There's more," Lunamaria added. "Milady has indeed met several prominent figures before, but Miyama-sama was almost always present. Since he would handle the brunt of the social interaction, you rarely had to engage with them directly, did you?"
"T-True... Even if my stomach was in knots, it rarely went beyond basic greetings."
"Exactly. But Miyama-sama is not here right now. You’ve hosted parties before, Milady, so you know the scale of this event. Between his greeting rounds and other duties, he’ll be occupied for the duration. The chance of him coming to your rescue is practically zero."
"U-Um, Luna... I see where you’re going with this, but... i-is there any chance you’re just overthinking things?"
Recognizing the impending disaster, Lilia turned a pleading, prayerful gaze toward Lunamaria, her face pale and slick with sweat. But reality was an unforgiving mistress; no amount of pleading could change the future that lay ahead.
"Several of the Six Kings' Executives have been glancing between each other and this direction for some time now," Lunamaria observed. "I suspect they were deciding on an order of approach so they wouldn't all descend upon you at once."
"Oh, that sounds troublesome," Sieglinde said, her voice full of pity. "Lili is here in her capacity as a Duchess of the Kingdom of Sinfonia; she can't afford a single slip-up."
"Miyama-sama’s backing is so absolute that, despite his politeness, he would be forgiven for almost any social blunder. Beyond that, he is something of a communication monster—loved by fate and the world itself. In fact, that's literally the case. When he's around, you can just leave the atmosphere to him and he’ll naturally smooth things over. But he isn't here today. Please do your best on your own, Milady."
"………………"
"Now then, I’m concerned about my mother's well-being, so if you'll excuse me..."
"You’re lying! You’re going to abandon me and run away after stirring up all this anxiety?! S-Sieg, surely you—"
"Er... I’m actually quite worried about my parents too," Sieglinde said, looking conflicted. "Besides, even if I stayed, my status makes it difficult for me to participate in your conversations anyway. So... good luck, Lili."
"……My stomach... hurts..."
Lunamaria made her exit with practiced, natural grace. Sieglinde followed shortly after, deciding that a mere noble’s presence would only complicate a conversation between a Duchess and the executives of the Six Kings.
Left alone in her despair, Lilia’s first visitor arrived.
"Lilia Albert-dono, might I have a moment of your time? I would very much like to speak with you."
"O-Of course. It would be my pleasure... Epsilon-sama."
Epsilon had apparently won the right to go first. Lilia, her eyes now resembling those of a dead fish, desperately plastered a smile on her face as she prepared for the social onslaught.
Serious-senpai: "A Body (Sugar) Blow to me with the sudden sugar from the previous chapter, and a Body (Stomach) Blow to Lilia with this stomach pain... I'm impressed by the masterful use of two different body blows."