Unaware of Eliana's thoughts, Marquis Demeter and Hera continued exchanging pleasantries.
"Eliana, why are you just sitting there? Hurry and introduce yourself."
At that moment Hera reprimanded Eliana, who had been sitting absentmindedly.
Before she knew it, Marquis Demeter had already taken the seat beside her.
Eliana scrambled to her feet and introduced herself.
"It is a pleasure to meet you. I am Eliana Mushe."
After the brief greeting, Eliana sat down again with a small thump.
Marquis Demeter possessed a type of handsomeness quite different from Velkirei's.
When Velkirei appeared absentminded, there was an untouchable elegance about him.
Like a flower blooming alone in a snowy field. Someone who seemed as though he would freeze you the moment you touched him.
Yet when he smiled gently, his entire atmosphere changed so much that the word pure suited him perfectly.
That did not mean he was merely pretty.
When he did not smile, his face was sharp, leaving a fundamentally cold impression.
Marquis Demeter, on the other hand, suited the word radiant.
Perhaps it was because of his bright silver hair and deep golden eyes, but his overall atmosphere seemed warm.
Even his stiff expression gave the impression of kindness.
However, when Eliana finished introducing herself, his face clearly showed disappointment.
Eliana wondered if she had made some kind of mistake and mentally retraced her words.
At that moment he murmured quietly.
"I do not believe this is the first time."
"Pardon?"
Since she had not heard clearly, Eliana asked again.
He smiled broadly as if nothing had happened.
"Have we met somewhere before?"
The subtle tone made Eliana tilt her head instinctively.
In response to her question, he once again smiled gently.
His meaningful smile made Eliana's expression stiffen slightly.
Silence meant affirmation.
'As far as I know, the original Eliana rarely left the castle.'
There were no memories of him at all, so his behavior as if he knew her left her bewildered.
Moreover, no matter how much she wanted to confirm it, she could not recall events she herself had never experienced.
Perhaps sensing Eliana's discomfort, he added calmly,
"I assumed it was so long ago that you might not remember."
"I am sorry. I truly cannot recall."
Since remembering was impossible anyway, it seemed better to simply pretend she did not remember.
At her reply, he briefly looked disappointed, but it could not be helped.
"It seems I was not very memorable to you, Eliana."
"So you are still a man after all, Rube. I thought you had no interest in women and were devoted only to Lord Elzer."
Hera naturally joined the conversation.
At Hera's words, Rube's cheeks flushed shyly.
Eliana rolled her eyes, unsure why he was blushing.
It felt as though she had somehow ended up in a matchmaking meeting.
"No wonder you never came no matter how many times I invited you. So it turns out the reason you returned was because of Eliana."
"It is true that I wished to confirm whether she was the person I remembered, but I came quickly because Mama summoned me."
When Rube replied with a graceful smile, Hera looked pleased.
For Eliana, who knew little about Marquis Demeter, Hera gave a brief explanation.
"Rube's family has served as Holy Knights for generations."
"Really? Then that means the marquis is a Holy Knight as well?"
Eliana's face brightened with curiosity.
A Holy Knight. It was fascinating to see someone so noble in person, someone she had previously encountered only in novels.
Unable to meet Eliana's lively gaze directly, Rube cleared his throat.
Hera spoke proudly, listing his accomplishments.
"It is true that he began as a Holy Knight, but now he is the Pope."
"What?"
Eliana exclaimed in surprise.
Rube scratched the back of his head in embarrassment.
"It was an unusual case. For the first time in several centuries, the god delivered a direct revelation. Rube's divine power is the strongest in the empire."
"You praise me too much, Mama."
Rube added awkwardly, as if unable to endure the praise.
'If he is the Pope of the god Elzer, then he must know a great deal about the Itdeoni myth.'
With a curious expression, Eliana asked,
"Then you must know a great deal about the Itdeoni myth, Marquis."
"I cannot yet claim to fully understand the will of the god, but I am studying diligently."
Although Rube answered modestly, the knowledge possessed by the Pope could not possibly be on the same level as that of ordinary people.
If Eliana intended to join hands with Velkirei, she needed to learn more about demons.
In other words, Rube seemed like someone worth getting closer to.
"You seem quite interested in the god Elzer as well, Eliana."
"Ah, I simply enjoy mythology."
"Really? Would that be alright?"
Eliana's face lit up, and Rube nodded gently with a smile.
If he might be an important figure, it would not hurt to know more about him.
Besides, he was the Pope.
That placed him in direct opposition to Velkirei, who had made a Demonic Contract.
Perhaps that was why Velkirei had reacted so sensitively when he heard the name Demeter during their first meeting.
"I thought your aura seemed holy."
"I felt the same when I looked at you, Eliana."
"I have never seen you speak so actively before."
Hera spoke in a surprised tone, apparently finding Rube's attitude quite interesting.
Rube smoothly shifted the topic and asked Hera,
"By the way, why did you suddenly summon me?"
"Ah, it is because of Mary's debutante."
"The princess's debutante…"
Rube trailed off, as though he had guessed something.
Hera nodded in agreement.
"On the day of Mary's debutante, I would like you to personally conduct the manifestation ceremony."
"What? You will not perform it yourself, Mama?"
Eliana interrupted in surprise.
In the original story, Hera had presided over Mary's manifestation ceremony.
Unlike nobles who were born with abilities, members of the imperial family awakened their unique powers at the age of eighteen.
Depending on their disposition, they would receive either magical power or divine power.
Hera had hoped that Mary would inherit divine power.
Mary's fiancé, Calius, was skilled in magic, so it would benefit them strategically if she wielded divine power.
Of course, contrary to Hera's hopes, Mary ultimately gained no power at all.
The moment her ability manifested, Velkirei stole it from her.
That was how it had happened.
That was how the story went.
But now…
The original story was changing.
Entrusting the ceremony to the Pope meant openly wishing for divine power to manifest.
It was an unusually aggressive move for Hera.
The range of predictable events seemed to be shrinking.
The world kept drifting outside the boundaries she had expected.
Eliana felt confused.
Anxiety rose in her chest, wondering when and how death might come for her.
"Hm? When did I ever tell you that?"
Hera tilted her head, looking puzzled.
Seeing her reaction, Eliana waved her hands and hurried to explain.
"O-Oh, no. I simply assumed that since direct imperial relatives usually perform the blessing, Your Majesty would conduct it."
"That may be the usual case, but my daughter cannot have an ordinary ceremony."
"Y-Yes, of course."
Eliana replied nervously, sweat forming on her forehead.
Rube watched her with a peculiar gaze, but Eliana did not notice because all her attention was focused on Hera.
"Yes. And in that sense, I also have something to request of you, Eliana."
"Please give your command."
"Since Rube will need assistance preparing for the ceremony, I would like you to serve as Mary's attendant."
Being Mary's attendant was something Eliana had also been asked to do in the original story.
"It is an honor to receive such a precious role. Thank you, Mama."
Eliana accepted the order with a bright smile, as if she had received a wonderful gift.
At the same time, she tried to organize the chaos in her thoughts.
Although cracks were appearing in the original story, the cause remained unclear.
For now the change was like a leaf falling into a pond, creating small ripples.
But she could not know when those ripples might become a violent wave.
Still, the fact that she had become the attendant just as in the original story meant events remained within a predictable range.
The only variable was the man sitting before her.
Rube Demeter.
Eliana tightened the fist resting beneath the table.
'When I return, I need to organize everything I know about the original story. If I remain distracted like this, things might spiral out of control.'
Late that night, Eliana sat beneath a lamp, writing something diligently.
Her expression was quite serious.
After returning from her meeting with Hera, Eliana's mind had become extremely complicated.
She carefully wrote down all the things that had changed from the original story.
Beneath that, she organized the events that were supposed to happen next.
[1. Eliana met Hera earlier than in the original story.
Those were the four changes.
So far they were only small alterations, but even the flutter of a butterfly's wings could eventually become a storm.
She could not lower her guard.
Among them, the most suspicious were the third and fourth points.
Unlike in the original story, Velkirei had no clear reason to take an interest in Eliana.
There had to be some reason, yet she could not figure it out.
His behavior was too suspicious to simply assume that Velkirei had fallen in love with her.
Moreover, Marquis Demeter was equally suspicious.
Considering his status and appearance, he was clearly not someone who would remain a mere extra.
She could not predict what influence his sudden appearance might have on the original story.
Even if the timing of her meeting with Hera and Velkirei had shifted earlier, those events still existed within the story's structure.
But Rube Demeter was different.
Even at the moment of Eliana's death in the original novel, his name had never appeared in a single line.
And yet not only had he appeared before her now, he even claimed to have known her previously.
The more the original story warped, the fewer events she could prepare for in advance.
"Ha… I wish this damned world would just collapse."
At last Eliana flopped onto the bed, blaming the indifferent sky above.