Lilia clasped her hands together anxiously.
It wasn't the first time she had entered a banquet hall as Maxel's partner, yet her heart was unusually unsettled and fluttery. Maxel, her partner, was lost in other thoughts and wasn't paying proper attention to Lilia.
He was probably thinking about Aneli.
Lilia had ears and had heard the news. They said Aneli had not only insulted Maxel to his face but had even gone on about divine wrath.
Because priests happened to be present at the time, her words instantly gained weight.
The nobles, who were already suspicious about the fact that Heinri was hosting Aneli, began subtly pushing Maxel forward.
It was pressure to quickly show friendship with the resurrected one and quell the strange rumors.
Of course, everyone knew about Aneli and Maxel's past. However, no one thought Aneli was holding a grudge against Maxel because of past events.
That was how devoted Aneli had been to Maxel in the past. Though there were some peculiarities in how she expressed it, at least no one could deny that all her actions had been for Maxel's sake.
Anyway, Maxel was overwhelmed dealing with rumors left and right. Meanwhile, Aneli, who had caused all this commotion, was probably comfortably living it up in the detached palace.
"Your Highness, it's time to enter now."
At Lilia's words, Maxel reluctantly rose from where he had been leaning against the sofa.
"You look very exhausted. Why don't you just stay for a bit and leave today?"
Lilia thought she was being kind with her suggestion, but Maxel's reply was sharp.
"Do you say that because you don't know what kind of banquet this is today?"
"It's a banquet to thank the resurrected one, but today isn't the only opportunity. The banquet will be held for several days."
"Lilia. Aneli is God's resurrected one. As a member of the imperial family, I must show sincerity."
Maxel grumbled.
'That damned resurrected one!'
At this point, Lilia suspected that even Aneli's execution might have been intentional.
Aneli hadn't revealed a single shred of divine power, yet simply because she had died and come back to life, she was being exalted as a greater servant of God than the High Priest.
It had seemed strange that she could subdue monsters without putting in any real effort, so Lilia had tried to suggest she might be undead, but instead, she was treated as someone stupider than a dullahan.
Remembering what happened at the Empress's tea time still made her blood boil, so Lilia grit her teeth and swallowed her emotions for a moment.
If only all these events were written in the 'book' she knew.
Unfortunately, the 'book' residing in Lilia's head had absolutely no events related to God's resurrected one.
At this point, it would be safe to say it was a completely different story with only the same characters.
'No, no. It hasn't gone off track yet.'
Lilia tried to suppress her anxious mind. Seeing monsters suddenly popping up all over the country, the background she knew was correct.
It was just that her own exploits of defeating those monsters and saving the world hadn't begun yet.
She didn't know what method Aneli used to subdue the monsters, but at most it was just one dullahan, wasn't it?
It was possible she was showing off, pretending to have subdued monsters that the imperial knights and mages had already taken care of.
"But it pains me to see Your Highness forcing yourself to deal with my sister."
"Who's forcing themselves to deal with anyone?"
At Maxel's voice, dripping with absurdity, Lilia flinched.
"You'd better fix that habit of always making groundless assumptions first. Ah, and the Empress oversaw this banquet too, didn't she? When exactly will you be able to help with imperial palace affairs?"
"Why is that coming up all of a sudden?"
"If you had spent the time making excuses about Aneli learning even a little more about managing the imperial household, I wouldn't be this worried."
"What are you worried about? You said at first that it was fine even if I couldn't do such things, that you'd help me with everything! You said my presence alone was consolation and told me not to worry about anything. That my existence alone..."
"Enough."
"Your Highness!"
"It's time to enter the banquet hall. Stop it."
With Maxel's irritable words, silence fell between the two. The attendant who had been waiting to guide them moved with careful discretion.
"...."
With the Emperor and Empress in front, she had to smile somehow. Lilia bit her lip tightly and took Maxel's hand.
Feeling Maxel's attitude, stiff and leading her unlike usual, Lilia's expression grew even more rigid.
However, before she could compose her expression, the two stood before the entrance of the massive banquet hall. The doors of Floand Hall, the largest hall in the imperial palace, opened.
"His Imperial Majesty the Emperor and Her Imperial Majesty the Empress enter!"
"Crown Prince Maxel Seriad and Miss Lilia Roam enter!"
Under the dazzling lights, the gazes of lavishly dressed people converged in one direction. Lilia lifted her chin and tried to wear a gentle smile.
Everything she knew had twisted. Events that should have happened didn't, and the story was progressing in a strange direction instead.
But despite that, Lilia believed it wasn't too late yet.
Because 'Lilia Roam' was the protagonist.
She, who had lived a different life in a different world, had been reborn as the protagonist of the book she read.
The contents of the book remained intact in her head, and she had followed the story well so far.
She was supposed to have made Maxel, the male protagonist, into the Crown Prince, dominated high society at his side, and been the one receiving the love of the Roam family! Furthermore, she was the protagonist chosen by God to save this world!
'There must be some way. The protagonist is just going through trials right now.'
A few days ago, she had secretly met with Freci. Freci, who had come all the way to the capital for her, was still harboring unrequited love for her. So he would run around in every way possible to help her.
Originally, Freci's role was supposed to end in the early parts, but the circumstances had changed now, so it couldn't be helped.
'According to Freci, there were no eyewitness accounts of Aneli fighting and winning against monsters.'
Rather, he said she kept getting kidnapped by monsters. She didn't know how Aneli subdued the dullahan, but if she really had the power to defeat monsters, she would have killed them long ago.
'The power to stand against the rampant evil? That's supposed to be my role.'
As expected, Aneli must be lying.
Mary, Lilia's maid, had also been busily running around among the servants. According to the information Mary had gathered, the perception of Aneli was still negative. So even if Aneli coveted Maxel's side, it would be useless.
Today, Maxel's banquet partner had become Lilia's as well, hadn't it?
Imperial Prince Heinri had long stopped attending banquets to watch the Emperor's mood, so today Aneli would have appeared alone.
Since there were many guests who viewed Aneli unfavorably, Lilia intended not to be verbally abused like before.
It must have been a while since such a grand banquet, so how long could she last without a partner?
'She should be driven out immediately.'
Several ladies with loose tongues came to Lilia's mind.
Words tend to swell with no end, and if one looks for faults, they'll always be found.
Everything would be resolved if only Aneli left the imperial palace. Originally, it would have been good if she had just died while subduing that dullahan!
To keep her ominous thoughts from showing outwardly, Lilia smiled as hard as she could.
Many people had attended to see the resurrected one. Foreign envoys staying at the imperial palace, as well as priests from the temple, were present.
Lilia looked around from time to time. Aneli should be here. Somewhere, standing alone....
She didn't have to look around for long before she found Aneli. That was because Aneli approached directly to greet the Emperor.
While receiving Heinri's escort.
"Your Majesty, I didn't know you would prepare such a splendid banquet. I was quite surprised when I arrived."
Aneli's attire was not objectively excellent. Both her hair ornament and dress were common and simple styles worn these days, as if to show she had prepared in a hurry.
Yet she looked as if she were radiating light.
The dazzling silver hair catching the chandelier's light seemed to need no hair ornament, and her mysterious purple eyes exuded an authoritative aura even before the Emperor.
Her red-painted lips were haughtily pursed. Beneath her raised chin, her long white neck was bare without a necklace, which made the scar stand out all the more.
With each step she took, the silver silk dress matching her hair color reflected iridescent colors and sparkled.
Heinri standing beside her was equally splendid. Lilia could see nobles glancing at Heinri.
Heinri was calmly accepting the gazes directed at him.
"You should have chosen a more proper person as your partner for this kind of occasion."
At Maxel's cynical words, Aneli rolled her eyes briefly.
"I chose the most suitable person."
"Ha, Aneli."
"Since His Majesty the Emperor laughed off my advice, I had no choice but to look after my own safety. I simply chose the person least tainted by impure energy."
Maxel and Lilia examined the Emperor's expression. The Emperor was smiling benevolently, but his eyes were coldly settled.
"The imperial palace is safe enough that no vile energy could dare invade. The dullahan's appearance was sudden, but all areas have been thoroughly inspected since then, so don't worry, Princess, and enjoy your time at the imperial palace."
"I'm not worried. Because I know God's will that everyone else doesn't know."
At that moment, by coincidence, Aneli and Lilia's gazes met as if brushing past each other.
"Your foresight was wrong from the beginning."
A voice mixed with scorn revived in Lilia's mind. She unconsciously grit her teeth. Unwanted assumptions kept dominating her thoughts.
'What if it really was wrong from the beginning?'
...What if everything gets taken away from me now?