The Starry Tea Party and a Tender Reunion

Ophelia slowly opened her eyes.

Before her, a river of stars swirled.

The boundless cosmos formed a swirling staircase, each star a glittering point, and Ophelia found herself standing barefoot upon them.

‘Oh…?’

‘It seems I didn’t die after all~’

‘But why did the male protagonist attack Vina? She’s the leading lady who will accompany him through thick and thin later on!’ Ophelia couldn’t fathom it, but decided to set the thought aside for now, as the present situation held greater importance.

Though Ophelia found this place both breathtaking and beautiful, she recognized it from the book: a realm where the protagonist was drawn by a deity yearning to regain power, a place where a weekly gathering was held amidst the stars.

It was a gathering where no one’s face could be clearly seen, where information was exchanged, and where one could beseech the deity for knowledge or blessings, in exchange for gradually aiding the deity in restoring their power.

It was through this very gathering that the male protagonist forged connections outside the kingdom and acquired various forms of magic and alchemy.

‘However, this deity’s authority was later usurped by Luca, and wasn’t the deity killed by Luca?’

‘Did the deity help me, since I didn’t die?’

As the river of stars swirled, the very stars beneath Ophelia’s feet coalesced into a long bridge, pointing in a single direction. Ophelia, still barefoot, stepped onto this starry path and proceeded forward, eventually opening a door.

Beneath her stretched the boundless cosmos.

Above the star-strewn expanse was a grand hall.

Within the hall, over a dozen tables stood empty, and at the far end, a throne was positioned, upon which sat a figure whose features remained indistinct.

“Hoho, you have come, answering my summons.”

The voice was that of a clear-toned maiden, though it feigned an air of aged wisdom.

‘Stop pretending, esteemed deity. I know full well that Luca will later brutally strip away your smoky facade to reveal a blue-haired loli within~’

‘Wait—’

[God of Stars and Knowledge Development Value: 0]

‘What in the world is this???????’

‘Why does a god need to be developed?’

[Isn’t that obvious? This deity counts as a female protagonist, so of course you need to develop them.]

The system’s voice sounded remarkably weak.

“System—” Ophelia wailed inwardly.

[Don’t fret. I’ve already reported it. The male protagonist attacking the female protagonist is something I also find incredibly absurd, so I certainly won’t let you suffer this sword strike in vain.]

It didn’t particularly matter to Ophelia; she wasn’t overly concerned, so long as the male and female protagonists could resolve their misunderstanding.

She turned her gaze to the God of Stars and Knowledge before her.

“Greetings, esteemed deity. Was it you who saved me?” Ophelia asked respectfully.

“Saved you…? No, it wasn’t I who saved you. It was the girl you wished to take in, Vina, who rescued you. Still, I can’t say I offered no assistance, for by using my authority to anchor your soul within this starry expanse, I ensured you wouldn’t become a vegetative state.”

“There’s no need to kneel in thanks, you know~”

The deity replied cheerfully, their voice still laced with feigned maturity.

“Even so, I offer you my profound gratitude and utmost respect,” Ophelia said, bowing.

“Hmph hmph hmph~ You’re quite astute, aren’t you~” Her voice instantly brightened with pleasure.

Just as the book had described, this deity was indeed susceptible to such flattery.

“Ahem, well then, lost lamb~ Today, I have glimpsed your wandering soul~ And I offer you an opportunity to gain much more~ Would you care to join this deity’s tea party~”

“A tea party?”

Ophelia felt no pressure whatsoever facing such a loli; in fact, she found herself somewhat inclined to tease the little girl. In the book, many readers lamented Luca’s usurpation of her authority, but Ophelia truly felt she couldn’t bring herself to join this tea party.

‘Several of the members are cunning schemers, and I really don’t want to face them alone—’

“Ahem, this deity requires the restoration of power, yet this deity possesses boundless knowledge. By joining this tea party, you may perform tasks for this deity in exchange for knowledge, or you may trade with other members of the tea party.”

“Everything here is anonymous; none of them can clearly see your face. The meetings are held every Monday, and participation offers only benefits, with no drawbacks whatsoever!”

‘Ah, this…’

A fierce internal struggle raged within Ophelia.

On one hand, this Goddess of Stars was unexpectedly also a female protagonist, requiring her development, yet the only place she could interact with this protagonist was this very tea party.

On the other hand, this place was truly rife with intrigue and machinations. In the book, the male protagonist always arrived at these tea parties meticulously prepared, and she genuinely dreaded joining such an environment.

‘Would it be appropriate for someone with social anxiety to face a bunch of old schemers?’

Yet, amidst this fierce conflict, developing the female protagonist remained paramount.

“I am willing to participate.”

“Excellent! Splendid! Each of our members uses a codename to refer to one another! Currently, there are four individuals, meaning four codenames—Joker, Novelist, Sailor, and Fanatic. Now, you should think of a codename for yourself, too!”

‘Ah, so there are only four people right now? That’s wonderful~’

However, Ophelia knew all these individuals. The Novelist was a reclusive girl, whom Ophelia hoped wouldn’t be classified as a female lead, as her role in the book was minimal. The Sailor was a pirate, incredibly knowledgeable, who maintained a good working relationship with the male protagonist and performed many unsavory deeds for him.

The Fanatic was a follower of an evil god, aiming to help their own deity usurp the authority of the God of Stars, but the male protagonist had seized the initiative.

‘Joker is the male protagonist himself, of course~’

‘Come to think of it, I’m truly influencing the novel’s storyline more and more deeply… I’ve even joined the Starry Tea Party, the male protagonist’s biggest cheat ability in the early stages… I won’t really gradually become a part of the story and be unable to return, will I…?’

“Have you decided? Your codename?” The deity’s prompt brought Ophelia’s thoughts back to reality.

“Ah, yes, I’ve decided, I’ve decided. My codename will simply be ‘Queen’.”

“Queen? Mm-hmm, an excellent codename, perfectly suited for you. Very well, Ophelia, every Monday at three in the afternoon, remember to find an secluded spot. I’ll be expecting you~”

The river of stars swirled before her eyes once more.

Ophelia returned to reality.

This, she mused, marked her second assassination attempt. The first time, she had truly taken a sword strike, transforming her into the Ophelia she was now. The second time, she had again taken a solid blow, only to inadvertently latch onto the male protagonist’s cheat ability.

The sunlight was warm and inviting.

She pushed herself up.

“Your Majesty, you’re awake?” A voice filled with surprise emanated from beside her.

Ophelia turned her head to see Marta standing there, her eyes wide with surprise, yet seemingly devoid of much actual shock.

“Marta~”

People often live with far greater clarity after confronting death, and Ophelia found herself in an exceptionally good mood.

“Good morning, Marta. How long have I been asleep?”

Marta began to tremble, overcome with joyful surprise.

Without answering, she simply dropped to one knee.

“Forgive me, Your Majesty. Once again, I failed to protect you. I…”

Ophelia paused, then rose, bent down, and embraced Marta.

Marta’s entire body gave a violent tremor.

“My foolish girl, why do you always shoulder all the blame?”

‘That was the male protagonist. Surviving his assassination attempt is a miracle in itself; what could you possibly have done to contend with him?’

“You have no need for self-reproach. Look, I am perfectly fine; I can still embrace you like this—”